Sons and Lovers
by Ivette Boveda
Summary: Tension arises between Alan & the Eppes brothers when they find themselves hating their father's new girlfriend, a Veterinarian.Chs1 thr 43 written before s2 finale. Last Chapter has been posted! Story is Finished!
1. Chapter 1

**author' s note: After some thinking, I've decided to use Sammac's technique and switch between the different characters' point of views, but with a small difference, I'll put a row of nines anytime there is a switch.**

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"You know, I was thinking...maybe it's time you met the boys..." I suggested to my girlfriend, Natalie. We were having breakfast at her place. I had made cheese omelets. After three months of dating, I wanted her to meet Don and Charlie.

"Really?" She gulped her coffee and looked uneasy. At forty two, she wasn't that much older than Don. "It's only fair; you've already gotten to know my 'kids' "She referred to Rocko and Layla, her dog and cat.

"Could you have dinner at my house sometime next week?" I got up from the wooden table and served myself some more coffee. I hadn't realized how lonely my weekend mornings were until I had starting getting more involved with Nat. It was wonderful to be able to share them with someone.

"Sure! Did you warn your sons...about the age thing?" She asked me. "So by the time I meet them, they'll be over the shock"

"I told them that you were younger. Don't worry! They're very supportive of my dating" I assured her. Though they would be a little shocked at the age difference, I was certain that once they got to know her, they'd get over it.

"That's great!"

"Besides I'm not rich enough for them to be worried about gold diggers!" I joked, and ate more of my omelet.

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After breakfast, we watched TV .

"What do you wanna do after this?" he asked.

"I dunno" I shrugged.

"We could watch a movie?"

"Sure..." I was game for anything, pretty much. It was great just to have the day off.

"Why don't we rent that penguin movie?" he suggested. "And watch it here?"

"Sounds like a plan!" I smiled. I had wanted to see that film, but had been too busy when it was in the theatres.

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"Where's dad?" I asked Charlie when I came into the house and took off my jacket. Since it was Saturday, I had decided to drop by the house.

"With Natalie..." he munched on cereal in the dining room.

"The vet?"

"Yeah.."

"Still?" I was surprised. He had been dating for a while, but hadn't settled with anyone yet.

"He spent the night, again." Charlie told me. "But he promised that he'd make steaks for dinner."

"Sounds worth staying for" I nodded.

Dad did return, but in the late afternoon. There was a bounce in his step and a grin on his face.

"I take it things are going well?" I teased when he hung his coat.

"Yes! So well, that I'm inviting her here for dinner next week. I want the both of you to be here, to meet her." he told us.

"Sure dad."

"Is Tuesday okay?" he asked us in an expectant tone.

Charlie and I both nodded.

"Good!"

We looked at each other. Dad hadn't introduced any woman to us, since the duck lady. Maybe things were not as casual as we thought.

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Finally, the day came. I didn't have any last minute emergencies at the clinic, so I was able to leave on time. Alan's house was in a nice, suburban neighborhood. Actually, it now belonged to one of his sons, who had brought it from Alan, when he tried to sell it. Thankfully, I found parking. Alan kept nagging me to get a new car, because he felt that mine was too old, pointing out that his eldest, on an FBI salary, had managed to buy himself an SUV, which I saw when I got out of the car.

Gingerly, I rang the doorbell, and hoped that I had dressed to impress. Alan opened the door. He wore slacks and a red shirt. Kissing me, he said "Welcome!" Then he led me to the living room, as I held his hand. Standing in it, were his two sons. One of them had curly hair to his shoulders, while the other had short, straight hair. Both smiled at me. I didn't know how sincere those smiles were, as I only knew how to read animals. Both looked like Alan somewhat. The curly haired brother had his nose, while the other one had his eyes. I kinda had a feeling that he was the FBI agent. I had trouble picturing the curly haired one, with his skinny physique, capturing criminals.

"Natalie, this is Don!" he pointed to the straight haired son, who shook my hand. "And this is Charlie" the other brother shook my hand as well.

"It's a pleasure!" Charlie said

"Nice to meet you!" Don told me.

"We don't you all sit, while I check on dinner?" Alan suggested.

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I was not prepared for how much younger than dad she was. When he had mentioned the age thing, I thought that maybe she was ten, fifteen years tops, younger, but it looked to be more than twenty. Thankfully, Charlie controlled himself, and managed to act polite.

Carefully, she sat on one of the couches, and turned to me.

"So...Alan tells me that you're in the FBI?"

"Yeah I am."

"Sounds like exciting work. One of my regulars is retired from the FBI. He used to work the Atlanta office." she said. I could tell that she was nervous.

"Really?"

"He's got a couple of greyhounds."

"Oh..you're a vet!" Charlie remembered suddenly, as I inwardly sighed. Get with the program, man!

"Yeah. I own a private practice with two other vets" she told us. "We mostly deal with household animals ya..know cats...dogs...the occasional bird or reptile..."

"It must be tricky, diagnosing someone who can't talk." I commented to make conversation.

"It's a matter of being in tune with the animal." she began. "And paying attention to body language, the eyes, and sounds. Basically, vets have to be animal profilers."

"That's a good way of putting it." I told her.

"It's just a matter of being observant" she added. "I admit, it's a little trickier with reptiles, at least with me, but I'm more of a fur and feathers girl myself."

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"But enough about me..." In my nervousness, I had babbled about my work, again. "Anyway, Alan tells me that you guys work together because Charlie is a consultant?"

"Math consultant" he corrected me.

"I see..." I knew to be careful about what I said about math. People who lived and breathed it tended to be sensitive about others saying that they found it useless. I only knew this from offending patients' caregivers over the years. "So you help solve crimes using math?"

"Yeah I do" he told me.

"Sounds interesting!" I said. The last time I met a boyfriend's kids, they mostly talked about video games, their favorite TV shows, and school.

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Don looked at me. He knew that normally I would be explaining about how I use math to solve crimes, with specifics, but I just didn't feel like talking. She's too young for dad! What was he thinking?

"Would you like something to drink?" Dad came into the living room to ask us, and then turned to Natalie. "I've got some Merlot."

"Sure."

"I'll get it." Don offered, and got up. Soon, he came back with the bottle and four glasses.

"Speaking of wine, did any of you see _Sideways_?" Natalie asked, as my big brother poured wine for all of us.

"Nope" Don shook his head.

"My friend Larry saw it." I told her, as dad shook his head. Soon, he was back in the kitchen

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I hoped that Charlie wouldn't ask for more wine. I knew his problem. It was one thing to be all cool and supportive when dad was casually dating, but now that he had brought someone to the house, that was a totally different story. I was prepared for this day, but I was picturing someone Dad's age, which had her own grown children. Maybe she'd have a son or two who liked sports.

Soon, but not soon enough, dinner was ready. Natalie, I noticed, drank two glasses before dad made the announcement that dinner was ready. Charlie did too.

"Smells great Dad!" I told him, as I sat in my seat. He had made beef stew.

"This is delicious, babe!" Natalie commented, as she took a bite. "The meat just melts in my mouth like butter!"

"Glad you like it" Dad said.

"It's actually my mom's recipe" Charlie said out of the blue. "Though she would put more bay leaves"

Suddenly, Natalie's cell rang. Dad sighed, as she went to the living room to answer it.

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"My cat vomited!" Ronnie, the daughter of a friend of mine said in a panic.

"Does the vomit look like undigested food?" I asked her. Sometimes, cats threw up their food without digesting it.

"Yeah!"

"How much did you feed her?" I got into doctor mode.

"I went to San Diego today, so I just left her five pouches of wet food." she said.

"Five pouches a day is too much for a cat her age. That's why she threw up" I said. "She should be fine. Just don't feed her too much."

"Thanks! " With that, she hung up, and I returned to the table.

"I'm so sorry, honey!" I apologized to Alan, then explained.. "The daughter of a friend of mine left too much food out for her cat, which of course ate it all and threw up. . I had to reassure her that it was nothing serious."

"Is it her first cat?" Alan asked.

"Yeah. It is.

"Reminds me of when Don was a baby. Every little thing that he went through got me into a panic." Alan chuckled at the memory.

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"I'm sure." I said neutrally, not liking the talk about cat vomit. Dad had given me a warning look when Natalie had left for the living room.

"I'm looking forward to helping you two through that" Dad told us, again hinting about wanting grandchildren.

" Is there a chance you'd want Dad to help you through that in the future? "I asked Natalie without thinking. She did a spit take.

"Charlie!" Dad said sharply. Both of them knew what I meant.

"Sorry!" I said truthfully and with some embarrassment. I hadn't meant to express my concerns about the age thing aloud to her and dad.

"Charlie doesn't drink that much, and when he does, it affects him more" Don explained to Natalie.

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Alcohol my ass! Charlie drank like two glasses of wine! Come on! Alan gave me an apologetic look, and then scrawled at Charlie.

"He didn't mean anything by it" Don added "Right Charlie?"

"Yeah.. I didn't!. Again, I'm sorry"

"Don't worry about it." I said for Alan's sake. I was still annoyed that Charlie made a big deal about the age thing by mentioning that I was young enough, in theory, to have children. I wasn't really interested in having kids, and Alan already, for better or worse, had his boys.

After a bit, Alan said. "I'm going to get desert, why don't you help me, Charlie?"

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"Sure Dad" I reluctantly got up, knowing full well what was to follow. As soon as we were in the kitchen, the tirade started.

"What the hell was that all about? Is that the way your mother and I raised you to treat guests? So what about the age difference? It doesn't concern you! ..."

"I already said I was sorry!" I told him before he could continue.

"I expect you to treat Natalie with respect and courtesy, is that clear?" Dad made me feel like a teenager again, and not in a good way.

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"Yes Dad..." Charlie said.

"Get out the cake so I can cut it." I requested. I was still angry with him. Charlie's little incident had angered Natalie. Soon, I started to cut and serve. It was a chocolate mousse cake, her favorite.

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"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked as we waited for Dad and Charlie. Something told me that the poor guy was probably getting a lecture from dad.

"I've got an older brother, and an older sister" Natalie told me. "They've got six children and a couple of grandkids between them." Before we knew it, Dad and Charlie came through the door with plates of cake slices in their hands.

"It's your favorite!" Dad told Natalie, while serving her cake.

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Soon, I walked Natalie to her car, which I felt was a piece of junk. I apologized for what Charlie had said.

"Are you coming over?" she asked.

"I've got an early meeting" I told her. The house was closer to where I had my consulting business. "Why don't you drop by the office, maybe we could have lunch?"

"Sure" We kissed, and then she went into her car.

"Drive safe" I told her as she turned the ignition. "Call me when you get home"

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"How did it go?" Vera, a friend of mine, who was a vet assistant in the clinic asked when I came in.

"One of his sons made a big deal about the age thing."

"How?"

"He made a stupid comment " I sighed with annoyance at the memory.

"That stinks!"

"Alan defended me of course, and the guy apologized. His big brother used the lame excuse of drinking too much, which was so not true!" I looked over some case files.

Soon, we both had to work, and the topic had to be shelved.

Lunch came, and I went to Alan's office.

"Hey Natalie!" Stan, Alan's business partner, greeted me. "How are you?"

"Good...and busy. Is Alan here?"

"He went to pick up lunch for you two." Stan, said. "I'm just about to go grab a bite with my son, Alex."

"See ya around!" I told him. He was always pretty nice to me.

He then left, and a few minutes later, Alan came in with two large bags of food.

"I got us Chinese" he told me, and we kissed.

"Sounds great!"

"How's business?" I asked as we both sat at his desk.

"I got a new client today, and a crank call" Alan answered as he served himself.

"Crank call?" I was curious.

"Some dumbass with nothing better to do called and said that he wanted to build a large torture chamber to cater to the BDSM crowd." Alan sighed. He hated to have his time wasted on the job.

I laughed, and then shared. "When I was in my residency, I worked shifts in the emergency room, and I got to this guy, who I noticed didn't have a pet with him. At first, I thought it was maybe some bigger animal like a horse, so I asked him, 'Where is your pet?' Know what he tells me? That he in reality is a centaur, and he thought he had cancer. Figuring that he was a 51/50, I gently said that I didn't have the training required to treat centaurs, and that he'd be better off going to a centaur specialist. He said that he couldn't find one, and that since centaurs had bodies like horses, I should do just fine. Before I could call security , he said 'ha ha!' and just walked away."

Alan laughed so hard that he choked on his coke, causing him to cough.

"You okay?" I asked with worry as I got up. By the time I got to him, the coughing had stopped.

"I'm fine..." he said. "Let's eat! How's work?"

"Good, I don't have many appointments, and there haven't been any emergencies." I replied, grateful for a light day after last night's disaster.

"That's good to hear." he smiled, then added. "I was thinking we could go out to eat after work."

"Sounds good to me"

"How about that Thai place you like?" he suggested. "Then we can just hang out at your place"

"It's a date!" I beamed, then reminded him. "You've got a couple of your suits there"

All too soon, it was time for me to go. We said our goodbyes, and I went back to work.

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"How did dinner go, Charles?" Larry asked me, as we had lunch in one of CalSci's cafeterias. I poked at the so called lasagna.

"It could have been better" I shrugged. "Dad's new girlfriend is too young for him."

"Really? Your father never struck me as the kind of man to get involved with a much younger woman" Larry sounded puzzled. He and my dad got along pretty well.

"yeah well...that's what's happening" I sighed.

"It must have been a big step for all of you, having her come to the house." Larry said gently.

"I'm fine with my dad dating! But it should be with someone his age!" I insisted, knowing what he was implying.

" Casually dating and having a relationship are two different things" He told me.

I gave him an exasperated look.

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As Alan and I looked over the menus, a caregiver of one of my regular patients, who was a Siamese cat, came over to say hi. He was in his seventies.

"Dr. Core! How are you?" he asked.

"Great! How's Groucho?"

"Spoiled as always!" he joked, then turned to Alan. "Your daughter is the best vet around! You must be proud. She is a true pet psychic!"

Alan looked uncomfortable, and I said, " Actually, he's my boyfriend. My dad is with my mom at their condo in Miami Beach."

"Oh...sorry..." the man looked embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it" Alan told him nicely.

"Well. I uh..Need to join my party." he lamely said, and left us.

"My mom once did that to a divorced friend of my brother's." I commented.

Finally, the food came.

"Whoa!" I gulped some water when I tried my order. My mouth felt like it was on fire!

"Maybe you should have stuck with medium spicy?" Alan teased.

"It's fine!" I insisted, though my eyes were watery. Why oh why did I decide to ask for it to be spicier than usual?

"Leave the food! Just get some of mine" Alan suggested gently, he got the waiter's attention, and asked for another plate. Soon, it arrived.

After dinner, we went to my place, and played scrabble.

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"Where' s Dad?" I asked Charlie when I came to the house.

"He's probably with Natalie" he muttered, while taking a bite from a sandwich. From his tone, I could tell that this was now bothering him.

"Okay..."

"Statistically, it's possible for us to find ourselves with a half brother or sister." He shook his head.

"That's for Dad to worry about" I told him.

"He's too old to put himself in that position" he sighed.

"Remember what I said last night? This thing with Natalie isn't gonna last! Don't worry about it" I figured that between the age difference ,and her other quirks, things weren't going to progress beyond a year. "Dad will come to his senses"

"I hope you're right!" Charlie sighed.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

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I won the scrabble game by about thirty points.

"You only won because I kept getting crappy letters!" Natalie scoffed. "And you got all the question marks!"

"Someone's jealous" I teased.

"Enough scrabble. Let's see what's on TV" she suggested.

"Sure"

Soon, I was massaging her feet as she channel surfed. Her television was a twenty four inch, and the couch was very comfortable...

"Make up your mind! I'm getting dizzy!" I complained after a bit.

"There's nothing good!" she insisted.

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I came home, the following Friday to find two small bunnies hopping around in the living room, as Dad read the newspaper.

"Hey Charlie! I made meatloaf. It should be ready in a few minutes." He put down the paper. "I hope you don't mind...a friend of Natalie's got sick, and needed someone to take care of her baby rabbits."

"Couldn't Natalie take them in?"

"They're so small, that she's afraid that her dog and cat would mistake them for food" he explained.

"Hey!" I noticed that one of the rabbits was chewing on some papers I had left on the couch when I came into the house. "Shoo!" Scared, the rabbit hopped away like a bullet.

"Look what it did!" I angrily showed Dad the damaged paper. "These are from FBI files that Don gave me!"

"Rabbits like to chew things." he told me. "I guess I should have warned you"

"How am I going to explain this to him?" I asked dad

He chuckled." This reminds me of when your brother was a baby, and he drooled on some blueprints I had brought home."

"I need to work! Couldn't you put them in their cages?" I had noticed a couple of cages, as well as two litter boxes.

"Natalie told me to let them, as much as possible, roam around the house." Dad insisted. "Just watch your stuff"

"How can I do anything if I have to worry about my stuff being messed with?" I demanded.

"Your mother and I managed for years, when you and your brother were little." Dad rolled his eyes.

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"Close the door, Don!" Dad admonished me when I came in. What was going on? Charlie seemed annoyed. I noticed an odd smell.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I'm taking care of a couple of baby rabbits for a friend of Natalie's." Dad explained.

"And as it turns out, they like to chew on things" Charlie snarled.

"Oh..." I could see why Charlie was irritated. He now had to worry about his work getting chewed up.

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The damned rabbits stayed for a whole week. They liked to hide, and whenever I tried to get one of them, I'd be scratched to high heaven. Then, the house smelled! And they liked to chew on electrical wire. I hoped that Natalie didn't make it a habit to turn the house into a pet day care center.

"Charles, are the rabbits still here?" Larry asked me when he visited the day after they finally left.

"No. they're not."

"Good! I was getting tired of having chewed up papers" He muttered.

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"How are you?" My sister asked as we talked over the phone on Friday Night. Alan was due to come in a while.

"Great! Busy, but great!" I told her.

"Seeing anyone?"

"Yeah, in fact, I am." I said. I figured that Alan and I had been seeing each other long enough to mention him to my sister.

"Is it Rick?" she teased, referring to one of the Veternarian assistants, who worked at the clinic.

"No. He's a planning consultant" I explained.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"See, he's a retired city planner, so he uses his experience to help architects and engineers with building stuff up to code." I explained Alan's work as I understood it.

"Okay...that makes sense...wait..how old is this guy?" she asked me. I guess the word retired caught her ear.

"Early sixties" I told her. .

"That's not like you!" she exclaimed. "The most you've gone is like ten years older, and you've even gone younger!"

"I know, but he's a great guy; very sweet, smart, and a great sense of humor" I explained.

"Does he have grown kids?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah, two sons. One is in the FBI, and the other is a math professor"

"FBI? How does your guy cope?" she asked in a sympathetic tone. I guess the thought of one of her kids getting into law enforcement scared her enough to change the subject.

"He worries alot, but figures that his boys were raised well enough" I explained.

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I came to Nat's place only to find her on the phone. Soon, she got off it and gave me a kiss.

"How was work?" I asked.

"Busy. Carl had to leave early, so I had to take over a bunch of his appointments" she sighed wearily. "And then a Siamese breeder kept insisting that one of her cats had a rare disease, that only affects dogs. She claimed that maybe the virus mutated itself to infect her little Gigi!"

"Did you convince her at all?" I asked. I knew what it was like to deal with difficult people.

"No, she decided to go to another clinic. " she sighed. "so how was your day?"

"Relatively light" I said. "I had lunch with Don in my office."

"That's nice." she said.

"That reminds me. Next week is Don's birthday, and we're all going out to dinner, with a few of his friends. Would you like to come?" I asked. "Two of Charlie's friends are coming too"

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I wasn't sure. What if Charlie did another round of that bullshit he pulled at dinner? How was Don going to feel about this? He seemed nice when I met him, but he is in the FBI, and so would know how to hide any dislike he had.

"Is Don gonna be okay with this?"

"Yeah of course. He even asked me if I was going to bring you." Alan said, then assured me. "And don't worry about Charlie. I'll take care of him"

"I'll be there" I said, if only to please Alan. "What should I get Don?"

"Don't worry about it. Just buy him something simple" Alan reassured me.

He spent the next day, which was Saturday, with his boys, so it left me free to get Don's gift. I had decided what to get right after drinking my coffee, which didn't taste as good as when Alan made it. I wonder why?

So, I went to the L.A country coroner's office, which had a gift shop, and I bought a towel, that had a a large depiction of the chalked tracing of a dead body. A friend of mine, who dated a cop had one just like it. I figured that being in law enforcement, Don would see the humor in the towel.

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"I can't believe that you let Dad invite her to your birthday dinner!" I sighed at Don. Dad was cooking in the kitchen. Spending a week with those rabbits didn't exactly endear her to me.

"It meant a lot to him. Just be nice to her!" Don warned me.

"I hope she gives you rabbits as a gift" I gave him a look.

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The evening of the birthday dinner came. To my chagrin, I was the last one to come, as I had to deal with a dog that had suffered from a porcupine attack.

"Hey hon!" Alan greeted me at the entrance of the restaurant. The walls were filled with pictures of the old West, and had a dark, rustic, frontier feel to them.

"I'm so sorry! There was an emergency."

"Don't worry! Don's an FBI agent. He'll understand." He kissed me.

"Where's the birthday boy?"

"Over there" He pointed to a large table. Balloons were tied to chairs, where unfamiliar faces sat. I walked to where Don was

"Happy Birthday!" I gave him the box. The gift wrap had kittens wearing birthday hats. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Don't worry! We've only had drinks and appetizers" He reassured me, and introduced me to the various people. A few of them were fellow agents, while the rest were friends of Charlie's from Cal Sci, where he taught. I sat between Alan, and one of them, named Larry

"So...Alan tells me that you are a veternarian?" He asked me, as I served myself some appetizers. The guy was rather twitchy.

"Yeah I am." I said.

"Here's a menu" Alan gave me one. "Order whatever you want. Charlie is paying."

My petty side wanted to get the most expensive item on the menu.

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"What are you getting, Don?" David asked me.

"I'm still lookin' " I told him. I hadn't been blind to the secret looks of admiration that he and Colby had given my dad.

"This looks good" Colby murmured, he seemed to be pondering the possibilities that he had, now that someone else was footing the bill.

"What does?" David asked.

"The Owner's special."

"That's what I'm getting" Charlie piped up. He was sitting between me and David.

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"Is it true that cats can survive long falls, Natalie?" Larry asked me suddenly.

"Yeah, they instinctively adjust their bodies to decrease the impact of the fall" I replied

"That's amazing!" Amita said as she took a bite from the shrimp cocktail. "It's almost like they have a built in knowledge of physics."

"I often get that impression when I see them jump" Larry said, as he looked at his menu. "Now... what should I get...?"

"This looks good" Alan showed me his menu, as he pointed to a dish. Then he put his arm around me.

"Sure does!" I agreed.

Time passed, and it was time for Don to open the presents. The table had been cleared by the waiters for this. Charlie gotten him a baseball card. Alan explained to me that it was a rare one.

"Thanks Buddy!" He grinned at his brother, and showed off the card. One of the other FBI agents whistled in admiration.

"He was always one of your favorite players! "Charlie observed. I saw lots of affection between the brothers.

Soon, Don was opening the next present "Thanks Dad!" he said . Alan had gotten one of those chair covers, that massages your back.

"I figured you'd need it, considering your line of work" Alan said, being the thoughtful man that he was.

Finally, it came time for Don to open my present. I hoped that it would go over well.

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"This is very cute gift-wrap" I told her lamely just before I opened it. Soon, I tore off the gift wrap, and opened the box, only to find one of those towels from the Coroner's office, with the chalk drawing of a dead body. Diplomatically, I said, "Thank you! It's very appropriate!"

In truth, I never really wanted one of these. Why did she assume that I would like it just because I was in the FBI? I knew the necessity of humor, but I don't need to dry myself with the drawing of a dead body.

"Glad you like it" she told me. Dad had his arm around her.

As soon, as I finished up the presents, Charlie brought out the cake. Everyone sang Happy Birthday. It was great to be surrounded by friends and family. Like last year, I missed hearing Mom in the chorus. The song just wasn't the same without her tender voice.

"Wish you were here, mom" I thought, just before blowing out the candles.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

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"You okay, Charlie?" Megan asked and sat down next to me.Her cake was half finished.Don was talking with David, and Dad laughed it up with Natalie.

"How could she have given Don such a morbid gift?" I muttered. I found the towel to be tasteless.

"Don has a very morbid job, and she probably thought he'd find the humor in it." Megan explained with a shrug, then asked gently"Are you sure you're just bothered by the towel?"

"I'm not too crazy about the age difference" I admitted.

"It must have been quite a surprise"

"Yeah. Dad had told us that she was younger, but I didn't think that he'd go out with someone young enough to be my sister!" I complained. Megan was so easy to talk to.

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"Hey Don... I've gotta go" Natalie came up to me after a while and said. " One of my patients got into early labor.Thanks for inviting me to your party, and Happy Birthday!"

"Sure. Good luck with your patient!" I told her. Part of me was relieved. "Thanks again for the gift"

"It was nice meeting you!" David said. Soon, she was saying her goodbyes to everybody. Dad walked out with her.

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"I'm sorry about having to go, Alan" Natalie told me as we walked towards her car.

"Don't worry about it." I told her. Don often got called back to work, so I was used to this, though I had hoped to spend the evening with her after the party. "Let me know how it goes!" . We kissed and she got into her car.

Soon, she was gone. With a sigh, I returned to the party.

"I hope the puppies do okay" Amita commented when I sat down again.

"So do I" Larry added.

"With her around, they will!" I said.

"Hey guys!" Charlie joined our little group, by pulling up a chair next to Amita. "Enjoying the party?"

"The food was delicious!" Amita said. "and the cake was the best I've ever tasted!"

"I got the cake from this bakery in Glendale called Porto's." Charle explained. "Someone once brought pastries from there for a math department meeting. They were mouth watering! So, last week, I asked her where she got them from."

Eventually, the party dissapated,and everyone went home.

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The puppies had to be incubated, and taken care of round the clock. Eventually, they were released to their owner.

"You know I was thinking" Alan said as we watched T.V at my place. I had my head on his shoulder "That it wouldn't be a bad idea if you went to one of Charlie's classes, by yourself. Show some interest in his work"

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

"Okay..." I said. It seemed to mean a lot to him.

"Do you know where CalSci is?"

"Yeah I do." I told him.

He wrote down, quickly, how to find where Charlie had his math for non majors class.

"I'll need to make arrangements in my schedule, but I'll make a visit by next week" I promised him.

"Great!"

Before I knew it, I was looking for a seat in the small auditorium, where the class was held. The chairs, unfortunately, were wooden, and . I was early, so I found one in a middle row. Not to close, not too far. Little by little, students streamed in. Right at three, Charlie came in, put his books on the desk, and noticed me. After giving me a puzzled look, he began the class.

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Why did she have to be at my class? Why couldn't she visit Don at his office? Dad must have put her up to this. I doubt that she gives a damn about math, or my work.

"I must focus" I thought to myself "I owe it to my students"

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Charlie showed a passion for his subject, and was a very energetic teacher. I understood a lot of it, as you needed a good amount of math to get into Vet school. Quite a few students seemed to respond well to him.

The class ended, and I followed him out. After a couple of students came up to him, I followed suit.

"That was a great lecture! Very engaging!" I told him, truthfully.

"I was...surprised when I saw you..." Charlie said. He wore a brown coat over a peach shirt.

"Do you mostly teach beginner courses?" I asked.

"I do a mixture of classes" he answered, looking at his watch.

"It must be hard to fit in full time teaching with consulting." I commented.

"I manage" He said plainly. "Look, I'm sorry but I need to prepare for my next class"

"Okay...well it was nice seeing you..." I said. "If you see Don soon, tell him I said hi!"

"Will do"

With that, we spilt ways.

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Thank God! Good Riddance! I couldn't get to my next class soon enough. She was attentive enough during the lecture, and I could tell that she understood most of the math I talked about.

After that class, I sourly sat in my office. Larry, as if on cue, came in.

"Are you okay Charles?"

"Guess who attended my lecture?" I started to pace around, in front of the green chalkboard.

"Who?" Larry shrugged, and sat down.

"My dad's girlfriend!" I sighed and put out my hands.

"That seems to show an effort on her part" Larry said, trying to sound casual, but it came out like a hint, which was what it was. He gave me a thoughtful look.

"Effort she's only putting forth to stay in dad's good graces!" I insisted.

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Charlie seemed to be in a bad mood when I came into the house.

"She came to one of my classes, Don!" he whispered. Charlie was seated on the couch next to the window. The red pen in his hand indicated that he had been grading stuff. I felt sorry for his students.

"You didn't complain about it to Dad, did you?" I gave him a warning look.

"No! I told him that I was glad that she came, and that she seemed to enjoy the lecture" Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Good."

"She only came because of Dad!" Charlie sneered. "I didn't want her there!"

"You weren't rude to her, were you?" I asked, while I kinda did agree with Charlie.

"No!"

Soon, Dad called us to dinner.

"Did you hear? Natalie came to one of Charlie's lectures" Dad commented, as he cut his steak.

I served myself some mashed potatoes. " Yeah. Charlie was just telling me"

"I was thinking, maybe we could all go out to dinner, with Natalie?" Dad suggested. " Tomorrow night"

"I've uh..." Charlie began.

"I think it's a great idea dad! We'll be there!" I interrupted Charlie, despite the fact that there were other things I'd rather be doing on a Friday night.

Charlie gave me a sideways glare.

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"Aren't you glad it's Friday?" Rick, a Vet assistant asked me.

"Yeah I guess..." I sighed, then decided to change the subject "Have those tests been run?"

"Just waiting for the results"

"Go see if they're ready"

"Okay..."

A little after my visiting Charlie, Alan had called me and proposed that we go out to dinner with his boys tonight. His voice had such eagerness to it, that I didn't have the heart to say no. I would have rather just spent the evening with him, but that's the price you pay when you date someone with kids.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

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We all met at an excellent Chinese restaurant, called 'Spring Garden.'. Natalie looked wonderful in her blue dress.

The server lead soon lead us to a booth seat, and we all sat down. The place had gentle green carpeting, and lanterns with drawings on them.

"They have the best sweet and sour shrimp." I told her, remembering that it was one of her favorite dishes.

"I just might have that!" she looked at the menu.

"So...how's work going for ya?" Don asked her

"Well, today, I actually had a small, pot bellied,pig come into my clinic!" she said.

"That's unusual." I commented.

"I've heard that pigs are at least as smart as dogs" Don added, while sipping some water.

"Yeah, I believe it" Natalie assented. "This one was."

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"What are you getting, buddy?" Don asked me after a few minutes.

"I dunno" I shrugged.

Soon, the server came to offer us drinks. We all ordered something, and then she left. Dad had his arm around Natalie.

"Mom always loved sweet and sour pork. I think that I"ll get that today" I commented without thinking.

Dad and Don both gave me looks.

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I resolved to have a talk with Charlie later. Didn't he realize that his mother wouldn't want him to act this way?

The server returned, and we gave him our dinner orders.

"Natalie and I are going golfing tommorrow" I commented. I had finally convinced her to try it.

"Sounds fun!" Don said in a supportive tone.

"We're teeing off at nine" I added.

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"Just don't let Dad talk you into betting" I warned Natalie.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Don!"She smiled

Finally, the food came.

Dad and Natalie shared each other's food.Charlie and I stole each others . It was a game between us.

"That's gonna cost you, buddy" I said, when I caught him taking some of my chow fun. So I got some of his sweet and sour pork from the serving plate with my fork.

After a bit, we started to do a swordplay with the chopsticks.

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"That's enough!" I said in a loud, firm voice and repeated a speech that I had said too many times. "A restaurant is not a playground! And there are too many starving people in the world to be fighting over food!" It embarassed me that Natalie had to see this.

"Dad! Come on!" Don protested.

"yeah dad!"

In the end, they stopped.

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I tried to steal Don's food again, but he gave me a 'stop it' look. It wasn't fair that we couldn't play our usual games just because Natalie was there. After some time, a woman, with large earrings came to our table.

"Hey Dr. Core!"

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"Hey Amy! How are you? How's Empress Fluffy?" I asked. She was another regular.Her cat was a persian, who was often in shows.

"Wonderful! Her ear mite problem is just about gone." she smiled, and continued. "My but this is the weirdest coincidence!"

"Really?" I asked.

"I'm also here with my father, and brothers!" she said, pointed to a trio of men at a nearby table. Alan looked uncomfortable.

"Actually, he's not my dad. We're dating, and uh...those are his sons" I explained, pointing to Charlie and Don.

She laughed. "Good one! You always did have an odd sense of humor"

"That's my sis!" Charlie piped up, as Alan glared at him.

"Seriously, though" I insisted. "This is my boyfriend."

She looked over her shoulder. "Looks like they're waiting for me to order. I'll see you at Empress Fluffy's next checkup" With that she left.

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When the check came, Natalie wanted to pay for the food, but Dad wouldn't hear of it.

"I invited!" he insisted. "Let me pay."

"I want to pay!" she argued.

"Why don't Charlie and I pay?" I suggusted. I wanted to show Dad that we wanted to make an effort in regards to Natalie.

"You two can pay next time" Dad promised. The thought of a next time didn't make me a happy camper.

"I'll pay next time" Natalie argued.

"You three can figure it among yourselves." Dad got out his mastercard.

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Eventually, we left the restaurant.Natalie left in her car, and Dad followed her in his.

"Looks like it's just us, Buddy" Don said. I could barely make out his face in the dark parking lot.

"Yeah..."

"I almost choked on my beer when you said, 'that's my sis!' " he admitted. "That was funny!"

"They must get that all the time!" I remarked.

"I'm sure they do."

"They'll probably be mistaken for father and daughter at the golf course" I said, then added, seriously. "Mom would not have wanted Dad to date someone young enough to be our sister!" Dad acted different around Natalie. He would have been cool with our horseplay tonight if it hadn't been for her.

"Mom, whereever she is, realizes that Dad has to make his own choices in the dating department." Don told me. "And that this relationship is not going to last"

"Did you know that men, who are widowed or divorced, remarry faster than women?" I asked.

"Charlie! Come on! Besides, look on the bright side.At least Dad didn't get himself one of those mail order brides! Now that would have sucked!" He joked, trying to cheer me up.

"He'll probably get a couple for us, one of these days!" I chuckled.

Don laughed heartiliy. Just then, he got a call.

"Eppes" he answered with a sigh, and listened. Soon, he hung up. "I'm sorry, man. I gotta go."

So, we both went our separate ways.

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I woke up around seven thirty to my alarm clock slash CD player blaring "Start me up" from the Rolling stones. With a groan, I pushed the sleep button. We had a late night.Two mintues later, Alan woke me.

"We tee off at nine!" He insisted. I reluctantly got up, and noticed that he was already dressed.

"Good morning to you too!" I sighed, and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, and wash my face.

"I'm about to make French toast" He said "Your favorite. I've already got the batter done"

"Is there coffee?" I asked.

"Yes"

"Good."

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I made the French toast as she dressed. With that and caffeine in her system, Natalie's mood improved.

"Did you feed Rocko and Layla?" she asked.

"Yes, Layla made it a point to remind me" I replied, and noticed how well Charlie's golfhat suited her. I had borrowed it and lent it to her.

After breakfast, we went to the course. It wassunny, but not too hot.

"Damn!" She said when we were near the third hole. Her ball hadn't gone very far.

"You're not hitting the ball hard enough, andyou'relifting the club to soon" I advised, and did another demo.

When it was her turn, she did a little better.

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Golf is okay, I guess. Though why in God's name did we have to Tee off so early? Alan really knows his stuff. He doesn't take him long to get the ball to the hole.

"That's better!" he told me at the sixth hole. " But curve your swing at the end a little more" Alan then showed me what he meant. He was quite a patient teacher.

"Okay" I said and made my swing.

"Great shot!" He said encouragingly.

At one point, I lost my ball. I went to where I thoughtit had gone, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Let's just drop another one" He suggested.

"Okay." I agreed after looking for another minute. He got another one from the package. I then asked. "How long have you been golfing?"

"Ten years" he told me. "My friend Art introduced me to it."

After golf, we had lunch, and spent a quiet afternoon at my place; Alan did crosswords, while I read a Vet journal.

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After a while, Layla started to meow at the front door, and Rocko barked. Both wanted to be walked.

"Now?" Natalie asked them from her couch. I sat in the recliner.

"MEE-U-Ah-eh!" Layla insisted.

Natalie got the cat's harness, and the dog's leash. I walked Rocko, and she walked the cat. We really couldn't do this whole excercise together because unlike dogs, cats can't really be lead on leashes. The way it works with Layla is that basically, being on harness and leash gives her a chance to explore the outdoors, so that's what she does. All Natalie can do is make sure the cat stays safe.

"Come on Rocko!" I got the leash, and we both took a brisk walk. He was a very friendly dog. After a while,I returned to Nat's house. She and the cat returned a bit later.

"How'd it go?" she asked, while taking off the harness from the cat.

"Great!"

"A squirrel was teasing her from on top of a tree" she chuckled.

"It's not dumb!" I joked.

Soon, we both returned to our respective activities.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

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"How did the dinner out with Natalie go, Charles?" Larry asked me on Monday, as I did some equations on the blackboard in my office. He and Amita sat nearby.

"The owner of one of her patients thought dad was her father, and that Don and I were her brothers" I said with a smirk.

"The age thing really bothers your doesn't it?" Amita said with raised eyebrows, as she looked through some notes that she had in her hands. The light, fuzzy sweater looked great on her.

"I found her to be a very intelligent, charming woman" Larry commented . "I can certainly see what your father finds attractive..

" It's very obvious that she loves animals," Amita added.

"It's not just the age thing..." I began. "Dad acts differently around her"

"Oh?" Larry asked.

"During the dinner, Don and I were horsing around, ya know...and Dad told us to stop it! He usually doesn't do that!" I insisted.

"She was a guest, and your father is of that generation that believes that you should control your behavior when there are guests around"

"And, I don't see him as often!" I complained.

"Relationships take time and effort" Amita said.

"I know...but..." I stopped writing. "She's not right for him!"

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At Alan's urging, I went to see Don at his office, bearing a sandwich on Wednesday. After getting it from a very good deli, I drove to the Federal Building, where he worked. Then, I went up the elevator. In my haste, I had forgotten to take off my white coat and I.D.. Soon, I was at some bullpen, with two bags in my hand.

"Hey Natalie!" David greeted me.

"Is Don here? I thought he might like lunch?" I said.

"He's having a meeting with the assistant directer. Why don't you sit? It will be over soon" He suggested. The place looked like any other office, except that there were wanted posters, and the people wore guns.

"Sounds like a plan." I said. Soon, he excused himself, As I waited, a young agent tentatively came up to me.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"Agent Eppes. I'm a family friend" I said. "He's at a meeting."

"Would you mind giving some medical advice. It's about my dog." he said. "Could we go to my cubicle to discuss the case?" I guess the guy had seen the ID hanging from my white coat.

I left the food where I had been sitting.

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"Where'd she go?" I asked David. All I saw were the two bags of food. I had groaned inwardly when I had first found out that she had come, but knew that at least for Dad's sake, she had to get the royal treatment.

"She didn't seem to be in a hurry" David shrugged.

"Maybe she just got an emergency call" I suggested, as I opened the bag. Rich, delicious smells rewarded me.

Just then, she came back.

"Sorry I was gone, but another agent needed some medical advice about his dog." she told us.

"Franks?" I asked. He was the only one on my team with a dog.

"Yeah." she nodded.

"Was it serious?" David asked.

She got into a long winded explanation about it. The only part I really understood was where Franks had to take his dog for a detailed exam, and that she prescribed something.

"Let's go eat in the break room." I suggested.

"Okay."

Soon, we were both eating.

"This sandwhich is delicious!" I told her.

"It's a deli that's near my clinic." she explained. "Actually, the owner of that place has two bassett hounds. They're regulars and real sweethearts."

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The break room looked like the one in the clinic, with a fridge, a microwave, a sink, and a few cabinets. Weirdly enough, Don ate his sandwhich the same way Alan did

"Any exciting cases?" I asked.

"Racketeering." he told me.

"Sounds interesting." I told him.

"What about you? Anything new at work?" He sipped his can of coke.

I talked about a couple of interesting cases that I had.

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Natalie sure loves her work! When talking about it or her patients, I could see the same passion that Charlie showed when he talked about math. I started to wonder if poor dad had to get an earful about her patients often.Did those two even have anything in common?What the hell did they talk about?And, if you ask me, I think she's better with animals than with people.

Soon, Megan, with some takeout, joined us. She listened to Natalie intently, and asked questions at the right times.

Time passed, and she had to go because of an appointment with a dachshund, who had worm problems.

"Sorry, Don!" she apologized. "I hope you enjoyed your lunch!" Soon, to my gladness, she was gone.

"She loves her work" Megan observed. "And you, were bored like hell, but you made an effort for your father."

"Let's get back to work" I said, wanting to change the subject.

"Charlie's not very fond of her" She commented, then asked.. "How do you feel about this relationship?"

"Dad's happy, that's what matters" I told Megan. I didn't want to discuss my issues about the whole thing with her. With that I went to my desk.

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In the evening, it was just me and Don, again. As we ate delivered pizza, he told me about Natalie's visit.

"That doesn't sound like a good time" Iremarked when he finished relating the story.

"Tell me about it" He finished up the slice in his hand and got another one. "But it confirmed my suspicions that the relationship is not gonna last long"

"I hope so." I really wanted Don to be right.

"Soon, Dad and Natalie will breakup and he will go out with a woman his age" Don opened another beer and sipped it.

"Maybe she'll have a son or daughter who likes math" I said hopefully.

"Or sports" Don added.

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I could feel the dirty looks of a couple of woman my age as Natalie and I were lead by the Maitre'd to our table. I just ignored them, and focused my attention on Natalie. She looked radiant in the blue dress that she had on. I had managed to get a reservation because a client of mine knew the owner. Soon, we were seated. Softly, a pianist played "The Way you look Tonight" and the only lighting was the candles that every white cloth covered table had. After we were given the wine list, a man about Natalie's age, came to our table.

"Nat! How ya doin?" The gave each other a quick hug.

"Alan, this is Brian, a friend from Vet school" she introduced us.

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Brian had practiced in Riverside until the death of his wife seven years ago. He then moved himself to some small desert town near the Nevada border.

"How's the clinic?"

"We're doing great!" I told him then asked, "How's your practice?"

"It's steady, and I seem to have more Alpacas as patients" he told me.

"Really?" I was surprised.

"A few people have been getting small herds of them." he shrugged. It was weird seeing him in a suit. I was used to seeing him dress casually, or with a white coat.

"What brings you to L.A?"

"I'm having dinner with my brother and his wife." He told me. "They worry about me. Anyway, how is Carl?"

"He's getting an article published in JAVMA" I told him, refering to the Journal of the American Vetinarian Association. "It should be in the next issue"

"I look forward to reading it!" He said. "Well, I need to rejoin my party. I'll come visit ya sometime at the clinic."

"Sounds great! You can give me advice about Alpacas!" I teased.

He chuckled, said goodbye to Alan, and left.

"Alpacas?" Alan laughed slightly. "You know, I've seen commercials that make claims about how profitable they supposedly are. Guess more people are falling for it than I thought"

"Looks like it". Soon, we ordered our wine, and it came within minutes. As I sipped it, I noticed that one of my married regulars was holding hands with another man at a nearby table.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

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"Look!" Natalie pointed at the table with her head. "The woman is one of my regulars and is married."

"And the man with her is not her husband" I finished for her. I had figured that out from the look on her face. "Anyway...let's see what's on the menu" I opened it.

"They've got crème broule "Natalie pointed out. It was also a favorite of hers. She ribbed, ""Maybe I should have just have that for dinner".

"Be my guest "I deadpanned and drank some more wine.

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"That song sounds familiar, but I can't place it" I remarked about the piano music. It added to the atmosphere.

"They Can't take that away" Alan informed me, then asked softly. "What is a seven letter word for stunning?"

"Alan! I didn't come here to talk about crosswords" I told him with a sigh.

"Guess. Humor me." He insisted.

"Fine. If you'll give me a four letter word for a person who gets obsessed with crosswords" I countered. He smiled.

"You first!"

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"Alan!" Natalie groaned at me.

"It's just as well. I've figured out the answer." I informed her.

"What is it?"

"Natalie" I took her hand and looked her in the eye.

Her face lit up, and she smiled.

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The moment was ruined by the server coming in with our food! Damn! Alan was such an old school romantic!

"I'm thinking of getting you Alpacas for your birthday!" he taunted me a few minutes later. "Maybe around two hundred, so that you can retire"

"Make it five. What the hell" I played along. We both laughed.

"You know, I've started to read that James Herriot book you lent me." Alan said.

"Great! There's a lot more where that came from" I said. One of my favorite authors, he was a vet from England who had written books about animals, and doctoring them. All Creatures Great and small, was the one I had lent to Alan.

"I'm thinking of recommending it for the Book Club" Alan was in a book club run by a friend of his named Phil.

"You should also recommend the Cat Who books" I told him. It was a series of books, where a crime reporter, with the help of his two Siamese cats, one of whom is way smarter than average, solves murders that always seem to happen in the small town where they live. Another series I loved was about a black cat, which lives in Vegas, and solves mysteries.

"I guess we could analyze why such a small town has more murders per capita than L.A" Alan teased me. He had read a couple of the Cat Who novels.

Eventually, it was time for desert. Alan and I just shared the crème broule between us.

The next day, Brian came into the clinic. In between patients, we talked.

"You look great!" he told me.

"Thank you!" I said.

"So uh..Alan...was he a date? Friend? What?" he asked, always the blunt guy.

"Boyfriend" I told him.

"Oh..." he tried to hide his look of surprise, but failed.

"I know, he's older than I normally go, but he's a great guy!" We both sat in the break room.

"Does he have grown kids?" he got himself some coffee.

"Yeah ."

"I feel for ya! My last ex was a few years older and had grown kids. Man! That was hard!" he said, while adding sugar to his coffee.

"We've got a dog seizing!" Rick popped his head in and yelled.

We were out of the break room in a flash.

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"I still can't believe that Don's father is going out with a much younger woman! He didn't seem the type." I heard David comment to Colby as I came towards them. I guess they didn't see me coming. I had decided to visit in case Don needed something.

"I just hope to be half as lucky when I'm his age" Colby smirked.

"What? You can't get lucky now?" I teased, though I was annoyed by what they said.

"Charlie...I uh..." Colby stuttered.

"Don't worry about. I'd probably say the same thing is one of your dads were dating her." I told him.

"Where's Don?"

"He's at his desk." David said.

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"Alan!"

"Rach!" I got up and hugged her. It was great that she had come to visit me at the office."How's my favorite sister?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm your only sister."

"I still mean it!" I gave her my best smile.

"Frank came to visit last week" she said. He was our little brother.

"Who's this?" she picked up a picture I had taken of Natalie during a trip we took to Santa Barbara. Then she groaned. "Please tell me that she's dating one of your boys!"

"Rach...she's a wonderful person!"

"I just can't help but think about how sometimes my widowed or divorced friends can't get dates because men their age go out with much younger women." she sighed and gave me a look of disapproval.

"I don't go out with her just because she's younger!" I argued. All the women I had dated before Natalie were in their fifties or sixties. "In fact, when I first saw her, the first thought was that maybe she'd be great for Charlie or Don. I swear!"

"How did you meet her anyway?" she asked.

"We were stuck in an elevator together. Both of us had doctor's appointments in the same building" I explained. "When we first starting talking, I told her about my boys, hoping that maybe she might be interested. But then, after a while we started to click. By the time, the elevator worked again, three hours later, we had a date. I swear to you, before this, the youngest woman I dated was in her early fifties!"

"I'll need to meet her." she said. "I'm here visiting Sarah and the kids until the day after tomorrow" Sarah was her eldest daughter.

"How about tomorrow night?" I knew that Natalie needed at least some notice.

"Sure"

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I went to meet Alan and his sister at a nice, small place in Pasadena, called South Lake Italian Kitchen, which was one of my favorites. Alan had apologized for the short notice, but explained that Rachael wasn't going to be in the L.A area long and that her visit had been a surprise. When I got to the place, they were already at a green colored booth, waiting for me. All over the walls, were pictures of Bassett hounds wearing different costumes .Rachael kinda looked like Alan.

"Rachael, this is Natalie." Alan said as I shook hands with her.

"It's a pleasure" she said.

"Same here. Sorry I'm late, traffic got bad" I told her.

"No problem."

Soon, the owner came out to greet us in a heavy Boston accent. She had dyed blonde hair.

"It's so good to see you two again!" she exclaimed and cooed. "How are you?"

"Good" Alan said, then introduced his sister "This is my sister, Rachael."

"Nice to meet you! Here are your menus" she gave them to us, and excused herself.

"Alan was just telling me that you are a vet" Rachael began.

"I co-own a practice with two other vets" I explained. "We mostly treat household animals."

Just then, the owner asked us if we wanted some wine.

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The three of us each ordered a glass of something different.

"Alan mentioned that you were a teacher until a few years ago" Natalie commented.

"Yes at the High School level" Rach explained. "I taught English"

"I see" Natalie said.

"Rach is a bigger crossword addict than I am!" I commented with a smile.

"Are you a big fan of crosswords?" Rach asked Nat, who looked wonderful in her yellow dress.

"Not really."

"She's starting to get into golf!" I piped up. "She's a quicker study at it than Charlie and Don were" I truly meant that.

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"It's just that I've got such a great teacher!" I told Alan.

"So...what's good here?" Rach asked. Alan made a few recommendations, as did I. She decided to get herself a pasta dish.

"I'll get the spaghetti with meat sauce" Alan said.

"I'm getting the lasagna." I said.

Soon, another server came and we gave him our orders. With a thank you, he left.

"Do you have any kids?" she turned to me

" Yeah two: my cat and dog." I answered.

"How do they get along?" Rachael asked me with curiosity.

"Great! I got the cat, named Layla as a kitten, so she essentially grew up with Rocko, my lab." I explained. "She loves to sleep next to him"

"Layla is one of those Bengal cats." Alan commented. "Have you heard of them?"

"Oh yes I have! A friend of mine has one! It almost looked like a tiger!" Rachael commented.

"Well, the breed was developed by mating domestic cats with Asian Leopard cats. The cats sold by breeders are about usually four generations away from that type of mating." I explained.

"That's interesting" Rachael said.

I started to talk about the many health issues faced by Bengal cats.

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Natalie's explanation was quite detailed, and fascinating. It lasted until our food came.

"This is delicious!" Rachael said after taking a bite. "I'm definitely recommending this place to Sarah!"

We all ordered more wine to go with our food.

A while after we finished, the bill came.

"Let me pay!" Natalie insisted, and got the bill before I could stop her.

"It is my prerogative!" Rachael said.

"No! Both of you are my guests!" I argued.

"Who's to say that you guys aren't my guests?" Natalie countered, and took out a credit card.

After some more arguing, she won.

"I'm paying next time!" Rachael warned her. "Well, I need to go. I want to spend time with my grandkids before I leave tomorrow."

"I'll walk you to your car" I said, wishing I had grandkids to spend time with. "While Natalie takes care of the bill."

As soon as we were out of the restaurant, she commented

"She seems nice"

"I sense a but in there" I commented.

"Well...what if she wants kids?" Rach asked me. "Or what if she gets pregnant?"

"That's none of your business!" I exclaimed and glared at my sister.

"How do you relate to her? She looks at animals as children, and doesn't seem to share your interests." Rach added. "Then she talks about ear mites at the dinner table!"

"Rach!" I gave her a look.

"How do the boys feel about her?" she asked me.

"They've been supportive, especially Don" I said. "He even let me invite her to his birthday party"

She paused and said "You're lucky to have him as a son"

"Don't I know it!" I couldn't help but think that she mean something by that comment.

"I just want you to be happy" she explained. "I don't want you to get hurt." It's always been this way with us, her trying to look after me, while I insisted thatI didn't need it.

"I'll be fine" I told her.

"Look, I don't want to keep the kids waiting. Just ..think about what I said, okay" she told me and got into her car.

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"Don, How do you think Natalie is doing with Aunt Rach?" Charlie asked me, as he graded papers and I looked through files in the living room.

"I've heard her complain about her widowed and divorced friends not getting dates, so I don't think Natalie's doing too well" I shrugged.

"Do you think Aunt Rach will talk sense into dad?" Charlie wondered hopefully.

"We can only hope so buddy." I told him.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

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Since I had an early meeting, and had to finish up preparing for it, I said my goodbyes to Nat, and went home. Both of the boys were sitting around in the living room.

"Hey Dad!" Don looked up from some files and greeted me.

"How'd dinner with Aunt Rach go?" Charlie asked.

"It went well, though she had some concerns. You know how she is..." I told them, trying to downplay it.

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"Yeah..." I said as I looked at my case files. Good old Aunt Rach; always saying what's on her mind.

"I'm going to prepare for a morning meeting" Dad excused himself. As soon as he was out of earshot, Charlie smiled.

"Oh...what I would not have given to be a fly on the wall!" he lamented.

"Tell me about it, buddy!" I said, then, tried to imitate her voice "She's young enough to be your daughter! What are you thinking?"

Charlie laughed, then remembered something and sighed."It's my birthday is next week. Dad's gonna bring Natalie to the party I'm having here at the house" he stopped grading and began to sulk.

"Whatever she gets you, smile, and say thank you like you mean it!" I reminded him.

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The next day, I started to think about what to get Charlie for his birthday. Carl, a partner of the clinic had some advice in between patients. I had known him since we were residents.

"My dad hired a belly dancer, once for the birthday of one of my step brothers. He loved it, and it melted some of the ice between them!"

"Sounds like a great idea!" I said. I had seen belly dancing and had liked it.

The day of the party came. It was at Alan's house. All of the same people from Don's party were there.

"Need help with the cooking, Babe?" I asked him.

"No! Not at all!" Alan insisted. "Go enjoy yourself." Poor man was running around doing several things at once! They should have catered! After some more shooing from him, I left the kitchen.

I kept looking at my watch. The dancer was to come at six, half an hour before dinner was to be ready. I thought that it would be better to have her come before the meal in case people wanted to dance with her.

"Waiting for someone?" Don asked me. He noticed that I kept looking out the window.

"No! I'm just checking the weather" I said lamely. It was already five fifty five.

Finally, at six, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" I ran to open the door.

"Hi! Is this the residence of Charles Eppes?" the dancer, who had long, black hairto her shoulders,asked. She was full figured,and wore an emerald green costume with gold plated trim.

"He's over there." I pointed to him.

"Who are you?" Don came to the doorway. I guess years in law enforcement taught him to be suspicious.

"She's a belly dancer. I hired her." I told him.

Soon, she turned on her music on her mini boom box, set it down on the coffee table, and began to dance.

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"Come on Charlie! Aren't ya gonna dance with her?" Colby asked me after he joined her himself.

"It's okay, I don't know how" I wasn't much of a dancer. Besides, this bothered me. It was as if, Natalie thought she could bribe me or something. Why else would she go through the expense?

"She can show ya!" Colby said as he tipped the woman. "Come on!"

"Your dad sure knows how to throw a party!" David told Don, who sat next to me on the couch. Larry looked at the dancer in surprise.

"He didn't hire her. Natalie did" Don said.

"What's going on?" Dad came out of the kitchen. I guess he had noticed a change in the music.

"She's got it going on!" Colby said, referring to the dancer, who soon did her rounds by dancing close to every one of us. She was very close to my lap, doing a thing with her shoulders and hips that involved shaking them side to side.

"For the birthday of a friend of mine" Amita began.She had come to sit next to me. "We went to a Moroccan restaurant and we had a belly dancer during the meal"

"Who hired her?" Dad asked with a puzzled face.

"I did!" Natalie admitted. "I figured that Charlie would like it."

"Oh..." Dad raised an eyebrow.

The Belly Dancer went back to the floor after finishing her rounds. Colby joined her again. He tried to imitate her hand movements, but sucked at it.

"Remember what I said, buddy" Don whispered in my ear.

"Natalie's trying to bribe me!" I whispered back.

"Try to dance with the Belly Dancer. At least for a minute" Don urged. "It'll make Dad happy if you like the gift"

"I'll go if you'll go" I promised.

"Charlie..." he warned me."Natalie hired her for you!"

"If we both dance, it'll make Dad twice as happy!" I argued. "Don't you want to make Dad happy?"

With the roll of his eyes, Don got up, and so did I. Then we joined the dancer, after I said thank you to Natalie.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Colby yelled in encouragement. We awkwardly tried to follow the dancer's movements, Dad saw us with a dropped jaw. Then, Colby invited Megan, Amita, and Natalie "Why don't you ladies join us?" All of them refused.

Don tried to do the shoulder shaking thing, but it looked like he was having a seizure. I attempted to do some move I had seen the belly dancer perform that resembled the slithering of a snake.

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Frankly, I was very surprised to see my boys belly dancing, or at least trying too. Charlie seemed to have taken the present very well. He hated for things to be sprung on him like this. He liked to try new things, but at his own terms. I learned this the hard way, when during his fifth birthday party. I had hired him a clown for the party, as a surprise. The boy was quiet and sullen during the performance. Then, refused to volunteer when the clown wanted to do some magic trick with him... Don did, though, and then sabotaged it. I sent him to his room, and paid the clown extra. Margaret later explained to me that I should have warned Charlie about the clown because he likes to try new things in a controlled fashion.

Charlie and Don stopped dancing after a few minutes, and sat back down. Then, dinner was ready. I called everyone to the table.

"Let the dancer have a break while we eat." I said, and then turned to her. "If fact, you can join us" Why hadn't either of the boys invited her to eat something? Honestly.

She said "No thank you. I'll be fine."

"Okay"

Don and Natalie helped me serve.

"Everything smells great, babe!" Natalie told me as I handed her a platter to put on the table.

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The rest of my party went great! We had a wonderful dinner, saw the dancer for a while longer, opened presents, and finally had cake. This birthday would have been perfect except for one thing: Mom wasn't here. I missed her at dinner, how she used to sit next to dad, or how she always insisted on having a corner slice from the cake. I guess you can't have everything.

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After the party, Charlie and I cleared the table, while Dad and Natalie loaded the dishwasher.

"She thinks she can buy me!" Charlie muttered as I picked up some utensils.

"Charlie..." I shushed him. "She'll hear you!" I couldn't help but think that while the polite brother, namely me, only got a towel, Charlie, the one who did the most sulking, got the belly dancer. My brother might have a point.

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A week later, it was just me and Don having dinner out at our favorite diner. Dad was gonna go, but Natalie called him at the last minute to go to a movie. Both of us said,' have fun dad', but were kinda disappointed that he couldn't come. We don't see as much of him.

"So, do you still keep that towel?" I asked Don.

"It's in a closet somewhere" he told me with a shrug. A server handed us our menus.

"It's the most tasteless gift I've ever seen!" I shook my head. What was that woman thinking?

"At least you got the belly dancer, buddy!" he teased me.

"Only because she's trying to buy me off!" I roughly turned the pages of the menu with a scrawl.

"At least Colby enjoyed the belly dancer" Don chuckled.

"Dad's reaction to us dancing was a surprise, but not in a bad way" I added.

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"What are you getting Don?" I asked him after a few minutes...

"I think I'll just have the steak sandwich." He told me.

"I'm getting a burger." I said, and then added. "Last Saturday, Dad came into the house wearing a stupid shirt that said 'Real Men love cats!' Can you believe it?"

"She probably bought it for him, and he wore it to please her" Don suggested.

"Probably…." I sighed. Dad had changed. "How long before dad will make the four of us get together again?"

"I dunno" Don answered.

"When's this breakup you've been talking about gonna happen?" Don's prediction had yet to come true. As far as I could see, they were getting along great.

"Charlie, Dad's a persistent guy. Be patient" Don insisted.

"What if they decided to move in together?" I asked Don with worry. "We're gonna be stuck with her whenever we wanna see Dad"

Don paused, as if he were thinking "That might not be such a bad thing"

"What?" I demanded. Has he gone insane?

"Charlie, dating someone, and living with them are two very different things, buddy" Don told me.

"Oh?" I remembered that he had lived with Kim. A part of me was still annoyed that I didn't find out until three years after the fact.

"All the bad habits, little quirks, become more of an issue" He began.

"Like needing a separate rack for your CDs?" I teased.

"Anyway..." he gave me a look. "Think about it, they're twenty some years apart, and don't seem to have much in common."

"This could be the kick Dad needs!" I finished for him. The server returned, and we ordered. I really hoped that he was right. Watching the game wouldn't be much fun with her around.

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"Yep" I told Charlie. I also knew that at his age, it might be harder for Dad to adjust to living with someone new. He had his little quirks and routines.

"Larry seems to like her" he told me.

"Really?"

Charlie did air quotes. "He thinks that she's 'intelligent and charming' "

"I don't know about the charming part..." I shook my head. She talked too much about her work.

"Neither do I" Charlie made a face.

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A few days later, after teaching all of my classes, I came to the house and noticed Dad and Natalie unloading boxes from their cars.

"Hey!" I tried to sound casual, despite how annoyed I was. Dad kept forgetting that it was no longer his house.

"Hey Charlie!" Dad put a box down with a grunt. "The storage place Natalie uses is going out of business, and I told her she could store this stuff in the garage, for now. We already squeezed as much as we could in her garage."

"Oh...what kinda stuff is it?" I couldn't help but wonder.

"My old dominamatrix gear!" she told me wickedly as Dad rolled his eyes. "That's how I paid for Vet school"

This was starting to be too much. First, I have to see her on my birthday, now she wants to store her stuff in my house!

I managed to say "We might have a little room" if only for Dad's sake.

Dad dragged me into helping them. Man it was a lot of boxes! More than I thought! Damn! I needed the space to work.

"Just how many boxes do you need to store here?" I asked her as we walked again towards her car. "See, I kinda need space in the garage to work." I tried to sound diplomatic.

"It's only temporary Charlie!" Dad insisted and gave me a look. "Just until she finds another good place and can find the time to move all her stuff."

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"Look, I thought that you'd be okay with it!" I told him. Alan acted so much like the house was still his that I often forgot that Charlie had bought it a while back."If you're not, I'll make other arrangements." The last thing I wanted to do was cause problems between a father and his son.

"There's no need to! The garage has enough space." Alan glared at Charlie.

"Not if I want to be able to work in it!" Charlie snapped. He wrinkled his forehead, scrounged his face, and gave his father a hard look.

"I'll just put this in the storage room at the clinic" I started to say. It wasn't the best solution, but what else could I do?

"There's no need to!" Alan insisted.

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After work, I decided to drop by at the house. When I got there, I noticed that Dad and Charlie were fighting in front of it. Natalie stood by .Quickly; I got out of my SUV, and went to see what the deal was.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Dad wants to store Natalie's things in the garage, but I need the space for working" Charlie complained. "So I can't fit all of her stuff"

"I thought that it was okay!" Natalie told me.

"It's only temporary!" Dad argued.

"Just store some of the stuff in my old room!" I suggested. After all, I wasn't using it.

"Are you sure, Don?" Charlie asked me.

"Yeah, buddy."

"Thank you Don!" Natalie said. "I usually have this stuff in a storage place, but it's going out of business, and I need time to find a good spot for the right price!"

"No problem." I told her.

Charlie sighed.

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As I prepared a lecture, the next night, curiosity got the best of me, and I went to the garage to check out her boxes. One was marked,'JAVMA 89-92'. Curious, opened the box only to find that it was a professional journal for Vets. She had several of them. I flipped through some articles, and put the periodicals back. Just as I was about to open another box, someone dragged it from me. I soon realized that this someone was Dad.

Angrily he demanded "What the hell are you doing?"

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

I felt like a kid again, sitting there, as Dad crossed his arms.

"I um...thought this was my box" I said lamely, referring to the one he had taken from me.

"Oh...so you went to Vet school?" he snided, and pointed to where Natalie had written 'Box of Vet school Books 1.' He told me emphatically "What's in these boxes is none of your business! You can't just go through people's things!"

"Dad..."

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Charlie's curiosity sometimes bordered on nosiness. When is he going to learn that people need to have their privacy?

"Natalie left her stuff here, thinking that it would be safe." I reminded him. I took it personally that her privacy had been violated.

"And because you told her that would be okay without asking me first!" Charlie snorted at me.

"She needed a place to store her things" I told him simply.

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"Yeah...nevermind the fact that this house is mine!" I retorted at Dad. "You seem to be forgetting that!"

"It's temporary!" Dad said firmly.

"But it's still my house!" I snarled. "Don't you understand?"

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"I didn't think you'd mind" I told Charlie. It was true.

"You should have asked!" he repeated.

"Asked?" the thought hadn't occurred to me.

"Yeah! I bought this house from you, remember?" Charlie glared at me. "At the asking price?"

"I know!"

"You keep acting like it's still yours!" he told me, while standing up. "B.P, you would have reamed me for doing the same thing!"

"B.P?"

"Before purchase!" Charlie huffed at being interrupted.

"I guess I would have" I conceded.

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"I guess?" I echoed Dad with frustration. Come on!

"Look, I'll ask next time, if you promise to stay out of Nat's stuff" He told me, but it sounded like he was saying it to calm me down. Dad used to do the same thing to Mom.

"Do you mean it?" I asked him doubtfully.

"Of course I do!" he insisted, and left the garage.

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Saturday came and I went with Alan to see a play. I had yet to find a good storage place for areasonable price.

"You're much prettier than the star of the show" He whispered during the second act.

"You're too sweet!" I told him and found myself smiling.

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Natalie looked wonderful in her sleek, black dress. Her brown hair hung loosely on her shoulders. I sometimes found myself watching her watch the show.

During intermission, we both got up to stretch our legs. At the area, where drinks and snacks were being sold, we ran into Art and his wife, Susan. They had been an extended vacation involving visiting their grandkids, and going on a cruise in the Caribbean. So, while Art knew of Natalie, he hadn't met her.

"Alan? How are ya?" he said, I could tell that he was shocked, having been his friend for so many years. He tried to hide it with a smile, as did his wife.

"Great! uh..this is Natalie" I introduced her.

"It's a pleasure." she put out her hand, and they each shook it.

"So. You're the reason why Alan seems so much chipper!" Art commented.

"How are you two enjoying the show?" Sue asked.

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"It's touching, yet thought provoking!" I commented. "A client of Alan's recommended it."

"My brother-in-law saw it with his wife." Art told us. He was a few inches shorter than Alan, and the wife was even shorter. Her short, curly hair style seemed to be able to withstand a wind tunnel given how the hairspray shone in the light of the chandeliers.

"How are the boys doing?" the wife asked.

"Very well, Sue!" Alan told her. "How are the kids?"

"Doing wonderfully, though I wished they lived closer" Sue bewailed slightly.

"I know the feeling" Alan said with true compassion. Don used to live and work far from home, so he understood.

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"How's your consulting firm doing?" Art asked me.

"Stan and I got two new clients last week" I told him.

"It's amazing how quickly you got out of retirement!" Art teased. Unlike me, he couldn't retire soon enough, and did so the minute he could.

"I wasn't quite ready for it" I said simply. I had retired only because Margaret had gotten sick. "And I love my work!"

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After a while the conversation turned towards when all their kids were little.

"Remember when we first went to Acapulco as a group? Don and A.J were toddlers." Art asked.

"Do I ever!" Alan exclaimed with a smile.

"Those two got into so much mischief!" Art shook his head.

"And that was just in the plane on the way over!" Alan laughed. "They both kept going around and saying boo! to all the passengers. "

I chuckled. One of my nieces had done something similar.

"Or how about when we'd take turns taking care of each other's kid to have romantic time?" Sue piped up, also referring to the trip. "I remember when we had Don for the evening...Lets just say I developed more respect for the parents of multiples."

A few minutes more of remembering the 'good old days', and intermission ended. My brother and sister could spend hours talking and remembering stuff about their kids. Like now, I usually didn't have much to contribute to such conversations.

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"Oh..I hope you didn't feel left out!" I apologized to her as we made our way back to our seats. It was easy to slip into memory lane, especially when it involved one or both of the boys

"Don't worry about it." she insisted. "You three go way back"

The next day, Sunday, Natalie used the yellow pages, to find and call possible storage places, while I worked on a big project. We were at her place. As usual, Layla jumped on top of some blueprints when I spread them out on the dining room table. Then, she lay down on the very spot I needed to look at.

"Go sleep somewhere else!" I scolded, picked her up, and then put her back on the floor. She made a few protesting mews, and started to groom herself for the umpteenth time.

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"So has Natalie found a new place to store her stuff yet, Charlie?" Amita asked me. She, Larry and I were at my house.

"No..." I shook my head.

"How are things with your father?" Larry asked me. I had told them a few days back about my fight with Dad.

"Not too bad..." I said with a sigh. We all sat in the living room. "If only he'd respect my ownership of this house!"

"Your father's owned this home for longer than you and Don have been alive. He maintained, repaired, and paid it off for all these years!" Larry told me. "It's going to take a while for him to adjust."

"But how long?" I asked impatiently. I was tired of Dad agreeing to things without asking me first.

"Who knows?" Larry shrugged.

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Some days later, I finally found a place to store my stuff for a good price.

"Thanks again Charlie!" I told him as we both carried stuff to Don's SUV the following weekend.

"No problem."

"Sorry about the misunderstanding" I apologized.

"It wasn't your fault" He put a box the back of the SUV. Don had lowered the back seats to make room.

"Here are a couple more" Don said

It took a while, but we finally got everything to the new storage place.

"Thanks for lending us your SUV" I told Don.

"No problem."

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"Finally!" I told Don when we were at the house alone after returning from the storage facility. Dad had gone home with Natalie.

"Good thing we used my SUV." Don added. He was right. It had saved us time and trips.

"What do you wanna do now?" I asked.

"Watch T.V?" Don shrugged.

"Okay" I turned it on.

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Tuesday came, and I decided to surprise Don at his office, with lunch. I felt that we needed some father/son time. When I got to his floor, I happily noticed that Charlie was there, though I irrationally kicked myself for not making another sandwich for him. Maybe I could give him a piece of mine?

Somehow, they didn't notice me, and were talking about Natalie.

"Do you think that dating Natalie is Dad's way of trying to feel younger?" Charlie asked. I couldn't believe it.

"Well, Groucho Marx did say that a man is as young as the woman he feels" Don commented with a half smile.

"Oh really?" I spoke up and they looked at me with wide eyes.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

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"Dad! It's not like that!" I insisted, not believing that I hadn't noticed him standing right there. I could see the anger in his eyes.

"How is it then, Don?" Dad asked me coldly . It was the same tone he used when I was a teen and had gotten into trouble. I could see the icicles coming out of Dad's mouth.

"We've got nothing against Natalie! Right Charlie?" I turned to my baby brother for support. It felt like a deju vu from my childhood.

"Yeah! She..uh..smart... and charming" Charlie said. He used Larry's words in his desperation. Both of us thought she was weird.

"It's the age thing?" Dad's tone didn't change.

"Yeah!" I told him, then asked, to make a point. "Wasn't that one of Aunt Rach's concerns?".

"It might have been" Dad said, though I knew that this meant a yes.

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"See, Dad! We're not the only ones!" Don insisted.

"You two think I'm too old for her?" I asked coldly.

"We think that she's too young for you" Don inverted it.

"Do you feel that I'm dating her only because of her age?" Did my own sons think that I was that shallow?

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Charlie and I were saving face, by using the age thing as a scape goat; it was partly working, though Dad's last question was a mine field. In truth, we both felt that it was a major reason.

"No!" I denied it.

"Why else would you say that quote about a man being as young as the woman he feels?" Dad demanded.

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Before Don could say anything, Megan reluctantly interrupted us. Apparently, she had a new case development for him. Dad put on a neutral expression when he saw her. In a way I was relieved. Don and I had really put our feet in it. This was worse than the time we both broke mom's favorite vase that belonged to her grandmother.

"We'll continue this conversation at another time" He told us, and went through the bullpen in a huff.

Soon, Don went back to work, and I decided to return to Calsci; after waiting a few minutes of course.

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I was surprised and happy to see Alan come into the house after work, as I wasn't expecting to see him until tomorrow.

"Hey babe!" I called from the couch, as he came in carrying his shoulder bag, and with a sour face. "You okay?" I asked.

"Hard day at work" he said simply. "Difficult clients. You know how it is"

"Yeah...I've got some lasagna that Carl's wife made. Want me to warm some up?" I offered. He must be hungry.

"Nah...maybe later."

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Sometime later, as Nat and I watched T.V, I thought about what happened. How could my sons really think that I'd go out with a woman just because of her age? Natalie was smart, and had a great sense of humor. I found it easy to talk to her. Why couldn't they see that?

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Alan seemed quiet and grumpy the whole evening. I tried to ask two more times, but men will be men.

"Are you having financial problems at the firm?" I asked at one point.

"No" he shook his head.

"The clinic's doing great, and...I could help you" I told him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I promise you" He looked me in the eye. "The firm is financially stable."

Part of me worried still. Alan was oldschool in some ways and probably wouldn't want me to help him anyhow.

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That night, Don and I hung out at the house. The T.V blared.

"How are we gonna make things right with Dad?" I asked him. Don always was better at understanding and relating to him ever since we were kids.

"I guess we could apologize, tell Dad that we'll try to look past the age thing" Don sipped some beer. "And wait out the relationship."

"Then grow eyes on the back of our heads" I joked. Don laughed.

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The next day, Charlie and I surprised Dad with lunch for the three of us. He was at his desk studying some blueprints. His desk was quite neat, and had pictures of us, and Natalie.

"Surprise!" Charlie said, sounding like a little kid. "You've got lunch!"

"It's good you came" Dad said seriously. "It's about time we talked."

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"That's why we're here" Don quickly said before Dad could continue. "We both wanted to apologize"

"Really?" Dad was surprised.

"We're sorry about being shallow about the age thing." Don began. "We promise to make an effort to look past that"

"Is that right?" Dad was studying us.

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"Yeah, Dad" he told me.

I didn't know whether to believe Don. I mean, he had lied about being supportive. All this time, I was happy that he had been great about this whole thing. He seemed nice to Natalie, and even used some of his free time to help us take stuff to the new storage place. Then, I find out that he looked at her as a whim that I indulged in the recreate my youth.

"You two just changed your mind, just like that?" I doubted this change of heart.

"We promising to be uh...more supportive" Don said lamely. "For real. We'll give Natalie some slack."

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"Don and I mean it!" I insisted.

"You two seem to look at Natalie as some whim" Dad told us. I could sense the anger. "The fact that you seem to think her age is the only reason we're dating...speaks volumes" Did he realize that we didn't really like her, plain and simple? Dad continued"Either you don't think much of Natalie, or you think I'm shallow" He glared at each of us individually. At this point, he was standing up.

"Or we think that Natalie doesn't have enough in common with you, and has daddy issues" I said without thinking, having heard Megan use the term once or twice. Don looked at me.

"She does not have daddy issues! "He growled. "Besides, we spend hours talking about nothing and everything."

"Seems like we got the wrong impression, didn't we Charlie?" Don quickly asked. I knew that I had to affirm it.

"Yeah. That's it." I said.

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"I'm not one of those men who needs a younger woman!" I told them sternly. "I would have dated Natalie if she were my age! How could you two think otherwise?"

"I uh...find younger woman attractive" Charlie told me, then turned to his brother "Don't you Don?"

"Yeah..what man doesn't?" Don agreed, a little too quickly.

"We're just acknowledging that you're human" my younger son added.

"Really?"

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"Yeah!" Charlie told Dad.

"Don, everything you've told me these past weeks has been a lie!" Dad said with disappointment and anger.

"Not everything was a lie!" Charlie jumped to my defense. "Don really made an effort to be nice! Like when Natalie went to visit him at the office; he listened to her even though he was bored out of his skull, and accepted that tasteless towel!"

"Charlie! You're not helping!" I thought with a sigh.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

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"And he encouraged me to dance with that belly dancer even though I felt that it was just a bribe!" I continued, wanting to convince Dad that Don was making every effort. Somehow, the last part slipped, before I could take it back.

"A bribe!" Dad's glare grew fiercer. "How could you say that?"

"What Charlie is trying to say is that, she hired her more for you, than for him." Don said, while giving me a very annoyed look. "If I had a girlfriend with kids, I'd make an extra effort to get along with them if only for her sake."

"Natalie is a very generous person!" Dad insisted. "She really wanted to get you something that you would enjoy, Charlie!"

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Bribing? What that hell is wrong with Charlie? Natalie gives from the heart. Don only found her boring, because she probably talked too much about work. She does that sometimes, especially with people she doesn't know well.

"We're not suggesting otherwise" Don said in that annoying placating voice that he sometimes used. "Are we Charlie?"

"No!" Charlie said, but I wasn't fooled.

"Your mother and I didn't raise you two to be so close minded!" I scolded them. "You just saw her, made assumptions, and never gave her a fair chance!" Would it kill them to give her a chance? She's a wonderful person who loves life.

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"Damn it Charlie!" I thought. Dad was really getting pissed off.

"Dad..." my brother began. His foot kept getting deeper in his mouth. Maybe he should just shut up.

"Don't Dad me!"

"Look, Charlie and I want you to be happy!" I assured Dad. By the look in his face, I could tell that he didn't believe me.

"But on your terms!" he retorted.

"Dad! Come on! That's not fair!" I protested.

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"You're lecturing me about what's fair?" I asked Don angrily. He had nerve! "What about how you two are not giving Natalie a chance?" They want me to be happy all right, but with someone else.

"Fine, we'll give her a fair chance. Let us make it up to you" my eldest said.

"Yeah Dad!" Charlie jumped on his brother's bandwagon.

"I don't believe you" I told them flatly. How could I after finding out that I've been lied to for quite a while?

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"What is it gonna take, Dad?" Charlie asked him.

"A miracle!" Dad answered sharply.

"Dad! Please!" Charlie's hurt showed on his face.

"What if, Charlie and I were to spend Saturday with her?" I asked after a pause, dreading the idea.

"A whole day huh?" Dad looked doubtful.

"Yeah! The whole entire day!" Charlie backed me up.

"I guess if you go through with this, I might be willing to ease up" Dad told us.

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I was surprised when Rick told me in the corridor of the clinic, "A Don Eppes would like to see you. Says he's a family friend? He'sin the waiting room."

My heart went into my mouth. Did something happen to Alan? Why else would Don be here? I thanked Rick, and quickly rushed to the waiting room.

"Where is Alan?" I demanded. My brain went through somescenarios."Is he okay?"

"He's fine" Don said in a comforting voice that was similar to the one I used daily in my practice. "I was just wondering if you wanted to do something with me and Charlie on Saturday"

"Oh!" I breathed a sigh of relief. Then the surprise struck me. We weren't chummy enough for them to ask me to spend a Saturday with them. Alan must have 'encouraged' this. I asked "Like what?"

"I dunno. What would you like to do?" Don asked with a shrug. I noticed that he had on a suit, a tie, and sunglasses. Guess he came from work.

"It's up to you guys" I said.

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"We don't meet up at Da--Charlie's place and decide then?" I suggested, while hearing the yapping of a lap dog and the protests of a cat.

"Sure! That way we can get Charlie's input." she told me. "How does midday sound?

"Okay. Well..I gotta go." I told her, and left. As I walked out, I thought about how for real her concern was. If nothing else, she seemed to truly care about Dad. The problem was that she was wrong for him.

After work, I hung out with Charlie. He read on the couch, while I watched T.V.

"Did you invite her?" he asked me with a pained look.

"Yeah. She actually thought that something had happened to Dad, when she first saw me." I remarked.

"Really?"

"Probably figured that's the only reason I'd come and visit." I had some more beer and made myself comfortable on the couch.

"If something had happened to Dad, letting her know would be last on my list" Charlie gave me a puzzled look. "So..what does she wanna do?"

"We're gonna meet her here, and decide at midday." I told him. "On Saturday"

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The next day, I hung out with Larry in my office in between classes. He had just come from teaching an advanced seminar.

He asked me "What's the matter Charles?"

"Don and I are spending the day with Natalie on Saturday." I groaned.

"Really? Whose idea was this? Your father's?" he asked in a surprised tone.

"Don's. My dad is mad at us" I explained, as I gathered some papers.

"Why?"

"He overheard Don and I speculating about...whether Natalie was Dad's way of trying to feel younger...we didn't see him until it was too late" I sorted and stacked my papers

"Charles, I am almost old enough to be your father, yet we've managed to develop a friendship." Larry began. "Why does the age difference between your father and Natalie bother you so?"

"But we're not dating! It's not the same!" I protested. "And unlike you and me, Dad and Natalie have got nothing in common and she only talks about work!"

Before the argument could continue, a student came in, needing help with a homework assignment.

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"Remember Charlie, don't ask about how she is doing at work!" I warned him as we waited for her at the house. "and be nice!" I hoped that he would not put his foot in his mouth yet again. Dad was still a little pissed off at us.

"Right." my brother nodded. He was wearing his Pi t-shirt.

Soon, the doorbell rang. It was Natalie. Maybe today we'd get lucky, and she wouldn't talk about canine liver diseases, or feline leukemia.

"Hey guys!" she said as I opened the door. She dressed in jeans and a shirt with a bunch of cats from different breeds, posing. Under them, it said 'Desperate Housecats'. We both said hi, and I asked her what she wanted to do.

"I know just the thing!" she said.

"What?" I asked.

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"You'll see!" I said mysteriously. "Let's go in my car."

"Where are we going?" Charlie asked insistently

"Santa Barbara! I'll drive!" I said.

"Okay..."Don agreed congenially.

Soon, we were in my car. However, half an hour into the trip, the car's back right tire blew out.

"Damn it!" I shouted.

With my heart pumping in my chest, I nevouslywent into the side of the freeway. It took all the muster I had not topanic about oncoming cars. When I finally, after what seemed to be a long time, got to the side of the freeway, Don said.

"That was great! You kept your calm!"

"Thanks!" I told him. "It must be from being a vet" Maybe the ice was breaking a bit.

Don insisted on changing the tire.

"Thank you!" I said. While I knew how to do it, I preferred that someone else changed the tire.

"I just bought this tire a few months ago!" I complained when all three of us got out of my car. Vehicles rushed passed us, and it was getting hot.Thankfully, I had the tools, and the jack.

"Maybe you put too much air in it?" Charlie shrugged, as Don opened the trunk to get the tools.

"Need help?" I offered.

"No it's fine" Don insisted.

"Let me know."

Soon, he had it changed, and we went back into the car. When I turned the key in the ignition, the car stalled.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

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We all groaned. Don asked "Do you have triple A?"

"Yeah, I'll call for a tow truck" Natalie said, and she did. The truck delayed. I grew impatient as I didn't have pen and paper to work on equations with. I had already snooped the contents of the back seat. She had a few books, her medical bag, and some clothes she had gotten for herself as well as dad.

"Call them again!" I told Natalie impatiently.

"I will in five minutes. The truck could be close by." she said. "Let's listen to some music. Do you guys like the Stones? I've got an album of theirs in here."

"yeah" Don said.

"I went to a few of their concerts" she said.

"Maybe you can go with Dad the next time they have one in L.A" I suggested. The fact that she liked the Stones really highlighted the age thing to me, and just why this relationship was so wrong. Plus, I was annoyed about having to spend my Saturday with her. Waiting in the car didn't help.

While she ignored the comment, Don's dirty look reflected in the rearview mirror.

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There were times that I wanted to put duct tape over my brother's mouth. This was one of them. Thankfully, the tow truck arrived just then.

We were taken to a mechanic that Natalie used. As Charlie and I got sodas from a vending machine, she called Dad. We heard her side of the conversation.

"Babe...could you come pick us up?...the car stalled on our way to Santa Barbara...yes I know that the car is old and you think I should've bought a new one..." . She, after a bit gave him the address to the mechanic. In a way, I was kinda relieved that things went the way they did. Charlie seemed to be as well. He looked to be in a better mood.

Soon, Dad arrived. He gave us a brief hello, and Natalie got an affectionate greeting.

"What did the mechanic say?" he asked.

"He says it's the transmission" Natalie told him.

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"Why don't you drop me off at Nat's and you three can borrow my car" I suggested.

"Okay..." Don said.

"Tomorrow, we are going car shopping!" I turned to Natalie, who just rolled her eyes at me. She needed a more reliable car! What if she had been stranded, alone after dark? Thank God the boys were there when it happened.

I personally talked to the mechanic, to make sure that he wasn't gonna try anything to rip Nat off. Then, she and the boys dropped me off at her place. As they left the driveway, I hoped that the trip would go well.

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Damn it! I should have known that the reprieve was too good to be true! I knew that, though his face didn't show it, Don felt the same way.

Natalie insisted on driving, which was fine with Don and me. We were quickly on our way again.

"You guys wanna listen to anything in particular?" she asked, having brought a case full of CDs from her car.

"No, anything you play is fine" Don said. He sat at the front. We rode in the car in silence, except for the music. After a long while, all we saw were dry mountains, or large expanses of farmland. I went through equations related to my cognitive theory in my head. Eventually, we arrived.

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"I know this great seafood place!" I told them as we entered Santa Barbara. "We can have a nice lunch then decide from there what to do next.

They both agreed. Soon we arrived. Appetizing smells wafted in the air, and made my mouth water the moment we entered. The place had a nautical theme, and its decor resembled the inside of a wooden ship. There were life savers on the walls, as well as fake fishing nets, with the occasional plastic fish. The tables and chairs were of simple wood, without any painting or decor. Thankfully, a server seated us a few minutes after we arrived.

"Nice place" Don remarked. Then added when he saw a waiter pass through with a laden tray "Food looks good"

"Order whatever you want!" I said "I'm paying!"

"Let's us pay." Don countered.

"No!" I insisted.

"Look, you drove. Let us return the favor" Don argued.

"I agree!" Charlie piped up as we were served water.

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I offered for me and Charlie to pay for lunch as a gesture of goodwill. We needed as much of it as we could get from her, especially with my brother's stupid remark. Good thing she didn't catch him snooping through her medical bag and other stuff.

"How about this. You pay for lunch, I pay for dinner later on?" She suggested.

"Okay" I agreed. Charlie nodded.

A server gave us menus that had a picture of an anchor at the front. Food was kinda pricey, and I kinda rethought my offer to pay for the food, even if Charlie was paying half.

"I'm getting the shrimp scampi!" Natalie said after a bit. "You guys should try the First Mate's special. Alan loved it!"

We soon ordered our food and the server left. Then, Natalie excused herself, probably to go to the ladies room.

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"She has good taste in food, at least "Don commented after a minute or so, and then added."If only she had a taste for men her age..."

I chuckled, and Natalie came back at that moment.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Inside joke" Don said with a smile and wave of his hand.

"Uh...okay" She raised her eyebrows and sat down.

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Charlie excused himself to go to the men's room, so it was just me and Natalie.

"So..uh...what are we doing after lunch?" I asked.

"It's up to you guys" she replied.

"You seem to know the city better than we do" I told her.

"I want you guys to enjoy yourselves" she said. "That's why I want you to pick."

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As soon as I returned from the men's room, Natalie asked me what I wanted to do.

"I heard Santa Barbara has good biking trails" I said, figuring that if we were gonna be stuck with her, I might as well do something I liked. Besides, she did ask. Don gave me a discreet, bothered look. "We could rent some bikes."

"Yeah. Let's do that" she nodded. "I think I saw a rental place near here."

Soon, our food came. I had ordered a dish called the 'Captain's Favorite'. It tasted awful! The so called cook had decided to pour a pound of pepper, as well as a ton of garlic and paprika on the Salmon. I tried to eat as much as I could to be polite, but it was hard. Could Natalie have chosen a worse place to eat?

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I could tell that my brother was not enjoying his food. It came from years of watching him reject the healthy food mom would make 'for his own good'. Thankfully, my food was pretty good. I wasn't crazy about biking though, especially with Charlie. He can do it for hours at a time. Me? I got saddle sores after an hour. Plus, I had wanted to do what Natalie preferred. We needed for her to give Dad a good report.

"How are you guys enjoying your food?" she asked.

"Great!" Charlie lied.

"I'm loving it!" I said truthfully.

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After lunch, we reposed for a while. Then, we found a bike rental place near a beach, bike trail. Each of us paid for our own bikes.

Soon, we were on our way. The sight of women in skimpy clothing made for good consolation. Apparently, Charlie felt the same way, though after a while, he charged ahead of us. He seemed to be in his own little world.

The sea air was cool, and felt good. Natalie was pretty good at the bike. Sometime later, she suddenly stopped her bike.

"Charlie!" I yelled "STOP!"

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As Don went after Charlie, I got off my bike. A man, with blue eyes and gray hair sat next to hisitalian greyhoundwho didn't seem to want to get up. I had heard him say, "Come on boy! What's wrong?"

"Hi! I'm a vet." I introduced myself. "I noticed that your dog didn't want to get up." This worried me. Something could be wrong.

"Nah! He's fine, just lazy" he told me.

"This could be from an underlying condition. Would you allow me to check him? I've got my medical bag in the car, and I won't charge you"

"Okay" he smiled.

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By the time I had finished catching up to Charlie, and dragging him back to where Natalie stopped, she was busy at work checking on the dog of a man in his late forties early fifties. At first, I was suspicious of her stop, but then realized that her total attention was on the animal. She did a through checkup, and asked the owner several questions. Then, she prescribed something for the dog. When Natalie was satisfied that she had done all she could for the dog we continued to ride our bikes.

After some time, we let Natalie ride ahead, and Charlie asked suspiciously. Do you think that 'checkup' was legit?"

"Yeah it was" I told him. "She focused on the dog"

"That's good to know" he told me and we caught up with her.

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I believed Don when he told me that Natalie didn't just use the checkup as an excuse to check the guy out.

Half an hour later, we returned the bikes, and Natalie took us to some shopping area. Don and I were bored.

"Why don't you get something for Amita?" Don suggested.

I got her a framed photograph of some beach of the area. Natalie got a souvenir mug and shirt for Dad at some other store. Then, she insisted on stopping at some candy shop so that she could buy taffy.

"I'm addicted to this stuff!" she joked. I decided to get gummy worms, and a lot of M & Ms in different colors, figuring I could use the latter to teach probability. I carefully choose and counted them.

"Come on Buddy!" Don told me impatiently after a while. "Natalie is waiting! Need help?"

"No!" I brushed him off, trying to keep count.

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Finally, Charlie finished and went to pay for the candy. Unfortunately, my nagging wasn't enough to get him to hurry up.

We walked some more, and it was time for dinner. Then, we were on our way home.

"That was a pretty good day, wasn't it guys?" Natalie asked as we walked to the car. I insisted on loading the stuff, with Charlie's help, of course.

As we did that, we noticed a small mysterious box in the trunk.

"What's in it?" Charlie wondered.

"It's none of our business! Come on!" I scolded him.

Charlie grabbed and opened it anyway.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

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"Charlie!" Don hissed. "You shouldn't be snooping around in Dad's car!"

Inside the box was a book, I picked it up. It was titled 'Cohabiting after 55'. We looked at each other and cringed at the thought of Dad getting romantic advice from a book. Looks like he was thinking of moving in with her. Things were progressing between them. Quickly, I opened it to the table of contents.

"Natalie's gonna wonder why we are taking so long!" Don warned.

"Look at this!" I pointed to the table of contents. "Chapter 7: How to do deal if your kids don't like your significant other."

Don roughly grabbed the book, and put it back in the box.

"She could decide to get out of the car!" he gave me an impatient look, and with a sulk, I went into it.

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Eventually, I dropped the boys off at Charlie's house, and then went home. Alan got up the minute he saw me come in the door. Apparently, he had been doing crosswords. I could tell by the fact that he had on his glasses and a folded newspaper in his hand.

We kissed and he asked me, "How did it go?"

"Wonderful, we ate, biked, and did a little shopping" I told him. "I got you a couple of things" I handed him the bag.

"Thanks!" Alan smiled.

Early the next morning, he woke me up.

"Alan!" I protested. "It's Sunday! Damn it!"

"We need to go car shopping!" he insisted.

"It's eight in the morning!" I groaned. "Besides, the car will be fine once it's fixed!"

"What if it strands you again?" he demanded, while sitting on a corner of the bed nearest to me, already dressed of course. He added worriedly. "You could be the target of some violent psychopath, while you wait for the tow truck!"

"Don needs to stop discussing his cases with you!" I remarked. "Look, I'll get up at nine." With that, I turned around facing away from him. I needed my sleep.

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With a sigh, I straightened the blankets and let her sleep. At nine, I woke her up again.

"Alan!" she groaned and put the blanket over her head.

"I've got coffee ready." I handed her the mug.

"I'm not getting a new car!" she said crankily after taking a gulp.

"But you need it!" I argued.

"It's not your decision!" she retorted.

"I know..., but I was hoping you'd listen to logic!" I said. My protective side wasn't going to give in.

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"Alan, I appreciate your concern, but my car is pretty reliable!" I tried to reason with him. "Besides, I don't want to spend my day off dealing with salesman. Maybe later, we can go out to eat and see a movie?"

"Fine..." he agreed reluctantly, though I knew that he'd bring it up later.

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I gave Amita her gift on Monday, when we had lunch at my office.

"It's beautiful!" she said with that wonderful smile of hers. "Where did you get it?"

"Don and I went to Santa Barbara with my dad's girlfriend" I told her.

"Oh yeah...Larry told me." Amita nodded, and then her face grew pensive. "How did it go?"

"It was lousy" I sighed.

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Two months later, Dad told Charlie and me that he was moving in with Natalie.

"That's...great dad!" I told me with my best fake smile. While I hoped that living with her would bring him to his senses, the thought of having to put up with Natalie to spend time with Dad irked me.

"Con..grats!" Charlie said lamely but Dad, in his happiness fell for it.

"Honestly, I'm nervous about this." Dad admitted.

"Are you guys looking for a place?" I asked.

"At the moment, I'm just moving in to her place." He told us. "Could you two help me move my stuff?" Dad looked at us expectantly. We both agreed.

A week passed, and Natalie came to the house to help us with the moving. Charlie sulked throughout the whole thing.

"You okay buddy?" I asked him.

"It's weird, having Dad move out." he said.

"I know it's a big change, buddy, but live goes on" I advised him. It was gonna be odd not seeing Dad at the house when I came to visit.

"How long do you think this arrangement will last?" He asked.

"Not too long" I reassured him.

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After moving a bunch of stuff, Dad decided to give me and Dona tour of 'their' place. The first thing I noticed was that Natalie had pictures of her pets, a dog and a cat displayed in the living room in the same way Dad had pictures of Don and me. She also had photos of pets, which apparently were dead.

Her cat was wary, but the dog sniffed us, and was quite friendly. The kitchen was smaller than the one at the house, but I could tell that Dad put it to good use.

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When we were done moving the boxes, it hit me; I was starting a new phase in my life. I had moved out of a home I had lived in for more than three and a half decades, to live with a wonderful person.

After giving the boys a tour, we went out to dinner. When, they left, I started to put things away.

"I emptied half the drawers in the dresser, and I made room in the bedroom closet" Natalie said.

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"Need help putting your stuff away?" I offered.

"Nah.." He said. I noticed that he was rather fastidious in how he organized his half of the closet. There was one section for suits, and another for casual wear. White shirts went at the end. Then, he put up the tie hanger. Layla started to sniff at the ties, which he had laying on the bed.

"What? You haven't seen ties before?" he teased her.

The next morning, I got up to find that Alan was rearranging the kitchen. He had taken out a lot of dishes, glasses, cans, and other things from the cupboards.

"What are you doing?" I asked. It's the last thing one expects to see on a Sunday morning.

"It's a little disorganized" he said, while emptying the cupboard where I put the plates.

"It didn't bother you before!" I argued.

"I was a guest before" he said as started to put stuff back, but differently than how I had it.

"You don't have OCD do you?" I asked as a joke.

"If by OCD you mean organized, then yes." he deadpanned.

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Sometime later, the phone rang. Nat answered it.

After a second, she told me" It's Don" I got the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Dad! I just wanted to see how you were settling in."

"Wonderfully! I've been unpacking and organizing." I said, and then asked impulsively. "Why don't you and Charlie come to dinner?" Truth be told, I was getting homesick, and wanted to spend time with the boys.

"Sure! We'll be there."

We eventually said our goodbyes and hung up. I noticed that Nat seemed a little annoyed as she poured herself some coffee.

"Is there a problem?"

"No... no I was just thinking about what we needed for dinner" she insisted. "So I could go to the store.

"Why don't we both go? Just let me finish organizing the kitchen" I suggested.

"Okay."

At the store, she insisted that we make our first stop at the pet section to get some toys and treats for her pets. Then, Nat got the most expensive brand of frozen dinners for lunch at work.

"Stouffers is cheaper" I pointed out. "And I've got coupons for it" It bothered me as we now shared the costs of the groceries. Raising two boys, one of whom needed tutors, books and other supplies had made me cautious about money over the years.

"Look, I want to have decent frozen food!" she argued, and put more in our cart.

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Why was Alan so hung up on the price of the frozen food? We both make good money, and it's not like we've got a mortgage to pay or young children to support. Geeze.

At the meat section, he took forever to pick the rib eye steaks, having the need to examine every one closely.

"That one's fine!" I told him at one point as he looked at a steak. "Trust me on this, I'm a vet!"

"It has to be just right!" he insisted.

I was a bit annoyed about the impromptu dinner. I'm not really a social person, and mostly preferred the company of animals to people. Plus, I liked to have at least a day or two of notice before going to a social event, or having guests, unless that guest is Alan, a good friend, or a family member. But what was I gonna tell him? You need to give me advance notice to have your kids visit?

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

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Around seven, I parked my SUV behind Dad's car. Charlie had agreed to come when I reminded him of the big adjustment Dad was making. He would be coming in his own car, which was purchased after Charlie got his license back.

Dad let me in with a large grin. The smell of frying steaks, and sizzling onions permeated the place and my mouth watered.

"Come in!" He said. I noticed that he had already put several pictures of me and Charlie around the living room. Also, he seemed to have reorganized it a bit. I could tell because it looked like the living room at the house.

Quickly, he closed the door and Natalie emerged from the hallway.

"Hey Don! How's it going?" she smiled.

"Good" I nodded.

"Thanks for coming!" She added. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I got your favorite beer" Dad told me.

"Sure. Thanks!" I said. I sat on the couch as the cat scurried away. If nothing else, Natalie had a good sized T.V.

"She's got Tivo" Dad informed me "Here's the remote.

"Need help babe?" Natalie asked him.

"Nah...Go watch T.V with Don"

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Don was already there by the time I arrived in my car. Dad welcomed me and offered a beer, while Natalie watched T.V with Don.

"Hey Charlie!" she stood up and said. "Thanks for coming. Dinner's about ready"

"Hey Buddy!" Don said without bothering to get up. He had a bottle of beer in his hand.

Soon, it was time to eat.

"You know, I had the weirdest client come last week" Natalie began to my and Don's annoyance. I could see Dad getting a wary look on his face.

"Really?" Don faked interest pretty damn well.

"He was my first appointment of the day. Said that he was worried about his cat being sick. So, I gently take in a medical history. This is where it gets interesting. Turns out that he believed that his cat was a feline necrophile ."

"Obviously this guy has a few loose screws. I've met a few in my time" Dad quickly said, then gently suggested. "Let's talk of more pleasant things."

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Come to think of it, Necrophilia is the not the best dinner topic.

"Did Alan tell you? I'm pregnant with twins!" I said in a best serious tone. Charlie choked on his food, while Don turned pale.

"She's kidding!" Alan told them with a chuckle.

"It's not fair!" I said to Don, while still laughing. "That you couldn't see your face two seconds ago."

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Charlie and I both drank some beer to soothe our nerves. The thought of Dad and Natalie expecting a kid together was wrong on so many levels, given Dad's age, and how he'd be stuck dealing with her for the rest of his life, after the breakup, if it had been true. What was up with talking about necrophilia anyway? If I wanna talk and think about sick stuff like that, I'll stay at work.

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Eventually, the boys left, and I played scrabble with Alan.

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Tuesday night came and Alan told me at dinner "the book club is meeting here on Thursday"

"Oh?" I kept my annoyance inward. I'm not really into hosting, especially after a long day of work..

"Phil's house is getting fumigated." Alan told me.

"Is our place big enough?" I asked to get him to doubt his decision.

"I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't" Alan said. He was doing the same thing to me that he had done to Charlie. No wonder the poor guy got mad that day!

"And you offered without consulting me?" I tried to be patient."I could have had plans for the house that night"

"What plans? You don't belong to any clubs" Alan gave me a puzzled look.

"For all you know, I could've joined a club today, and volunteered to host a meeting here that very night." I wanted to soften my point by using a hypothetical. He gave me a skeptical look, knowing full well that one: I'm not into clubs, and two: I would never agree to host anything.

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"Is this your subtle way of telling me that you don't want the book club here?" I asked her with annoyance. It's my place too!

"No babe!" she insisted. "Wouldn't you want me to ask you before agreeing to host a club meeting?"

"I would just expect some notice." I told her.

"Really?" she was doubtful. "So if I was to tell you that I was going to host a large get together here on Thursday, with two hundred people, you'd be okay with that?"

"I'd probably get a heart attack from the surprise" I deadpanned.

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What's with him? Did Alan's late wife let him get away with this? I guess that unless I became a medium, I'd never know.

"Look, just give me the heads up before saying yes next time Okay? That's all I ask." I tried to be diplomatic.

"Fine, I'll talk to you before saying yes" Alan said in that voice men used when they were just saying something to diffuse an argument. Then he added wryly "And you'll do the same next time you plan a large get together?"

"Yes." I rolled my eyes.

Alan did crosswords, while I read a mystery novel after dinner.

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Nat seemed cold towards me during the rest of the evening. She sat on the couch, reading one of those mysteries, where a cat solves the crime.

I figured that she'd get over it in a day or two. So, I did the day's crossword and went to bed around eleven, while Nat stayed up a bit later.

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On the evening of the meeting, I mostly stayed in the dining room, sitting on the one remaining spare chair. . Most of the members were his age, and like him, had worked for the city in some capacity or other. Alan introduced me to most of them. I helped Alan prepare snacks and I made an extra effort to be a good hostess. Things had kinda settled between us, as he again promised, but he seemed more sincere about it.

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During the meeting, there was much thought provoking discussion. Phil, like Art had been shocked at seeing that Nat wasn't exactly my age, as were a few other members. Some gave me looks of admiration. Natalie spent most of the evening either reading, or doing paperwork to give us space. Afterwards, Phil stayed around, and we talked in the living room. Nat joined us.

"How are you adjusting to the new place?" he asked me.

"Great!" I told him.

"Missing the boys?"

"They visit, and I call them almost everyday." I explained, though there were times I missed seeing Charlie reading or working on the couch as I did crosswords and Don watched T.V.

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"Alan..tells me you're a vet" Phil turned me. He had a mixture of blonde and white hair.

"I co-own a practice" I said.

"Are you a specialist?" he asked. "I've heard that some vets specialize"

"I'm a general practitioner." I replied. "Though I mostly deal with household animals."

After some more chit chat. Phil excused himself and left. He seemed like a nice, friendly guy.

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Charlie and I worked on a big case and couldn't visit Dad for about a week and a half. We were finally able to see him one night. As usual, he was happy to see us.

"Help yourself to some beer, while I finish dinner" he said while letting us in.

"Where's Nat?" I asked more out of surprise than regret.

"It's her turn to work late" Dad explained, as Charlie and I got our beers.

Charlie grinned widely when Dad's back was turned.

"How are things here?" I asked.

"Nat and I are adjusting. It was the same way, when I first married your mother." Dad said, while stirring something in a pot.

Charlie looked at me hopefully.

"Last week, my book club met here" he told me and my brother. "Phil's house had to get fumigated."

"How'd that go?" I asked. Something told me that Natalie wasn't as into having guests as Dad was.

"We had a very deep discussion about the book" Dad turned off one of the burners, "and the gang got to meet Natalie."

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Don and I wondered how that went. It was great that it could just be the three of us having dinner, without Natalie's annoying weirdness.

Finally, dinner was ready, and like always it was wonderful. One of the things I missed was Dad's cooking. I could do it, but not as well. Once I tried to make meatloaf for myself and Don, but it came out too dry and salty even though I had followed the directions, which I had gotten from a website. Don had joked that it I had gotten the recipe from a site called 'ways to kill your brother dot com'

"How's your case going?" Dad asked us as he took a bite from his food.

"We've made some progress today, thanks to Charlie." Don told him. "David and Colby are checking out some leads tonight."

"That's good to hear." he said.

"How are things at the firm?" I asked.

"We got a new client today!" Dad beamed as we congratulated him.

After eating, we just hung out and watched T.V. Her dog lay down at Dad's feet, while the cat lay down on the satellite box.

"Rocko seems to like you, Dad" I teased.

"He's a very friendly dog" Dad remarked and scratched behind its ears.

At nine, He went to call Natalie. Apparently she wasn't there because Dad left a message.

"I'm calling her at work." Dad said, after trying and waiting a minute, he left another message, hung up, and sighed. "She probably had a medical emergency"

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I could tell that Dad was a little worried and would be until he got a call from Natalie telling him that yes, there was a medical emergency.

"She must have gotten a patient that needed to go to the animal hospital." I said.

"Or found an injured animal by the road" Dad said with more anxiety. I could tell that his mind fretted about the risks that entailed, such as psychopaths being near the area, as she stopped by the road to help some injured animal. Natalie better have a good reason for not calling Dad. I hated to see him worried.

Eleven came, but Charlie and I stayed with Dad to keep him company, and calm him down.

"It shouldn't take her this long to call! I mean if she did find an injured animal, wouldn't she do what she could and just arrange for it to be transported to a nearby animal hospital or something?" Dad began to agonize.

"Dad, maybe she's helping with the uh..treatment" I tried to reassure him, but it was no use.

The phone rang at midnight.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

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Half fearing that it was a hospital; I quickly got the phone and answered it.

"Babe? It's me!"

"Where the hell where you? Why haven't you called?" I demanded worriedly.

"You're not gonna believe this! After work, I went to the store. Traffic delayed me Then, I saw an injured, abandoned horse that had collapsed on the side of the freeway." she explained. "So I stopped to treat it. Then, I made all the necessary calls to have the horse taken to The Animal Medical Center. Right after that, my cell died because I had forgot to plug it in last night. After a few minutes, a crash happened about hundred feet near me and the horse. Between that and the looky lous, the ambulance couldn't arrive until it was too late. Then, I had to wait for the SPCA investigators to come so that I could give my statement. One of them kindly lent me their cell phone so that I could call you."

"I'm sorry to hear about the horse" I said, forgiving her, and knowing that how much she hated to lose a patient.

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"So what happened?" I asked Dad when he hung up the phone after comforting Natalie. Charlie looked at him with curiosity.

"She found a collapsed horse on the side of the freeway" Dad began.

"A horse?" Charlie repeated in disbelief.

"Someone must have transported it in a trailer, then dump it" Dad explained then continued. "So… her cell died right after she arranged for it to be transported to an animal hospital. Unfortunately, the ambulance couldn't come in time because of traffic."

"That's a shame" I said. Charlie nodded. "At least Natalie's okay"

"Thanks for staying with me" Dad said. "I know both of you have work in the morning."

"It's fine" I told him with a dismissive wave of my hand.

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Don and I stayed until Natalie arrived home. Dad hugged and kissed her when she came through the door.

"Hey guys!" she said. "That's for staying with Alan"

"No problem" I said. "We were sorry to hear about the horse"

After a bit, we both left the house.

"I was beginning to think that maybe she was avoiding us" I joked.

Don did a half smile.

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I was glad when they left and closed the door behind them. After a hard night, playing hostess to Alan's sons was the last things I wanted to do, but I knew how much their visits meant to him. Plus, they comforted Alan when he was worried sick about me.

"Not only had that horse suffered abuse" I began "The poor thing had double pneumonia and lots of injuries."

Alan put his arm around me and I continued. "Losing a patient never really gets easier" I shook my head. "You just learn to cope with it better"

"Let me make you some tea" Alan suggested. "I bought chamomile tea bags." Soon he went to the kitchen and before I knew it, I had hot, piping tea.

"Thanks babe!" I said. The man could be considerate when he wanted to be. He gave me strength just by being there. Between his attentions, and Rocko's support, which consisted of being affectionate and nearby, I started to feel a bit better.

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I came home a few days later to find several cars in the driveway and nearby, including Charlie's and Don's. After turning off the car, I took a few deep breaths. Alan did it again! He and I were going to have a very serious talk after the guests left.

I put on my hostess face, and went into the house. Everyone said hi, Alan kissed me, though I responded like I usually did because we had guests.

"Don's case got closed, so I invited everyone who was involved in it to come over" Alan said happily.

"We had an agreement" I whispered in his ear with a hiss, then warmly greeted the guests. I went to the kitchen, and Alan followed me.

"I thought it didn't apply when it involved my boys" He got defensive.

"David or Colby's mother give you a surprise phone call?" I snorted.

"Nat! My boys helped put away a human trafficker!" he started to get angry.

"Having the boys over, and having a party for them, are two different things!" I interrupted him. What happened to the considerate guy I fell for? "The boys can come any time they want, everyone else, you consult me before inviting them."

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"I didn't think you'd mind!" I told her. What was wrong with her? I just wanted to celebrate my sons' success. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she doesn't have kids of her own.

"Even after I told you that I wanted to be consulted before you agreed to have a large gathering here?" she glared at me. "You could've just invited everyone to a restaurant."

"I wanted to make their favorite foods!" I countered. "And you were working late anyway!"

"Go tend to your guests!" she roughly opened the fridge.

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Alan left the kitchen with a sigh and a huff. After pouring myself some soda, I went back out, and sat next to Megan.

"I hope we're not imposing" she told me gently.

"No no!" I said dismissively. "Celebrations are a great way to end the workday. Alan told me about your guys' success. Congrats!"

"Thank you!" she smiled.

"How ya doing Natalie?" Colby joined us.

"Great!" I said with a fake grin.

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After all the guests left, Natalie and I fought.

"I honestly didn't think this violated our agreement!" I told her. We were in the living room. Both of us were standing.

"Looks like being married to a lawyer came in handy" she retorted. "Just because the boys were in the party doesn't mean you could invite the whole L.A F.B.I field office!"

"Being a father is a very important part of who I am..." I began to say, trying to get her to understand, but how does one explain that to someone who's' never had children?

"And I respect that!" she argued. "But what has that to do with having a large party? Is that an essential aspect of parenthood?"

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Could this man be any more oblivious? Finally, I decided on another approach. "Alan, how would you feel if I started to adopt and bring home animals willy nilly without consulting you? Would you like that?"

"Of course not!" he glared at me.

"Why?"

"You know why!"

"Well, that's how I feel about you having these big gatherings without consulting me!" I snapped

"I've got a few finishing touches to put on a project' He suddenly said, as he went to the dining room, where he kept all of his work stuff. I followed him.

"We're not done here!" I snapped, and blocked his way.

"I need to get that project finished!" he insisted.

With a sigh, I let him go. My big brother did the same thing during arguments, and I've learned that it's near impossible to bring back people to arguments, which they've retreated from. However, this wasn't over.

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Natalie finally went to the living room to watch T.V. With a sigh of relief, I half heartedly did some work. There are times when no matter what you say, you will still end up in the doghouse. I didn't want to deal with Natalie in the state she was in.

That night, the bed feltcold and empty asNat slept in the guest room.

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The next afternoon, Alan came to see me at my office.

"I was thinking that maybe we should hammer out few details to avoid any more misunderstandings" He suggested.

"Okay..." When one of the Vet techs had told me that Alan wanted to see me, I had been hoping for an apology, but not this. "But I thought I was clear."

"What happened last night would seem to indicate otherwise." He sat on a guest chair. "Maybe if I had asked you to clarify we wouldn't have fought"

"What part of 'let me know before you invite anyone else other than your boys', needs clarification?" I gave him a puzzled look.

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I tried to repress my sigh. "Remember just before the book club meeting you said 'When it comes to the boys, all limits are off?' "

"I meant when it comes to the boys visiting!" Natalie snarled.

"That's not what I understood!"

"Well now you know, right?" Natalie retorted. I didn't think she believed me.

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With that, Alan opened his shoulder bag, and took out a wrapped box.

"For you" He said.

My gut instinct told me that it was from See's candy, a company that sold chocolate treats. Upon unwrapping the box, I soon found out that I was proven right.

"It has all of your favorites!" he said.

"Thanks!" I told him. What a sweet and romantic gesture! It wasn't an apology, but the fact that he was making an effort made me relent a tad.

"Why don't we go out to dinner after work?" he suggested. "I know this great place, which my friend art recommended."

"Okay..." We weren't totally reconciled, but it was a step in the right direction.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

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At seven, Nat and I went to a nice place. Loud jazzy music blared, as a server wearing slacks and a white shirt lead us to our table.

Soon, we were given our menus.

"Everything looks great!" Natalie beamed.

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As we ate, the two of us discussed the issue.

"I need to warn you" I began. "Larry likes to tag along with Charlie"

"Okay, Larry seems like a nice guy" she said.

"But I promise, unless it's the boys, I'll consult you before making the invitation" I told her. She is definently not a people person, at least notto the extent I am. When I first met her, I had mistaken it for shyness, but I soon came to realize that she didn't click with people as easily.The fact thatwe had that connection in the elevator, was what Charlie would call an anomaly.I didn't mind though. She's a wonderful person.

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I came home at nine the next night, due to an emergency,to find Charlie and Larry working on some experiment or other in the living room, making a mess of it. Layla hung around exploring, while Rocko lay next to the couch.Alan was at the door, prepared to soften the blow.

"During dinner, Charlie got an idea for some project he's doing, and couldn't wait to get home" he told me in his soothing voice.

Charlie explained what he was doing, but I was so tired, annoyed, and in a bad mood that he could have been trying to prove that the meaning of life was forty two for all I cared.

"I made spagetti with meat sauce!" Alan said "Hungry?"

"Yeah" I said.

After eating, Alan and I played scrabble. Eleven arrived,and they weren't even close to finishing whatever they were doing.

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"Any chance that you two are going to wrap up soon?" I asked Charlie. The mess was grating,especially since it didn't involve some case for Don, and so didn'tinvolve people's lives.Nat looked like she had a hard day at work.

Charlie gave me a long winded explanation of what needed to be done.

"So is that a no?" I rolled my eyes.

"We'll lock the door behind us!" Charlie insisted.

"How are Nat and I gonna sleep with all that racket you make?"" I demanded in a whisper.She was puttering in the kitchen, making us some relaxing tea. "Both of us have work! So do you!"

"I've got to finish this!" Charlie insisted. By the determined look in his eyes, I realized that he had become deeply involved in this project. Why didn't I put my foot down when he first began?

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Since the rented house was one story, Alan and I could hear the noise Charlie and Larry made from the bedroom, where we went after drinking our tea.

"How much longer is he going to be here?" I asked with irritation.

"As soon as he's finished." he said. "Charlie tends to get caught up in his work..."

"I see..." If that guy wasn't Alan's son, I'd sure as hell would be more vocal in my annoyance. To make myself less angry, I tried to tell myself that maybe he was doing something for the CIA or NSA, but knew that given that how open he was about the project, it was a big fat lie. "Why don't we go to a hotel fora night or two?" To me that was the most practical solution to this.

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"We could go to the Huntington Ritz. My treat!" I suggested, knowing that she was very irritated. Charlie and I would have a very serious talk tomorrow.

We quickly packed some necessities such as pajamas, toiletries,and work clothes for tomorrow. Nat put Laylain the guest room, whileI took Rocco to the backyard.

On our way out,I toldCharlie firmly,"I want everything cleaned up by tommorrow afternoon! Understood? You've got a whole house to yourself now!"I gave him a very stern glare.

"yeah..we will" Charlie said more to get me off his back than in agreement.

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"What if Charlie's project becomes too hard to move?" I asked in the car.

"Charlie's smart, he'll figure something out!" Alan insisted.

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To my surprise, he got us a suite. Just as we were about to go to our room, I saw a very familiar face: Don. At least he didn't make a mess of our living room.

"Dad? Natalie?How are ya?" He smiled.

"Charlie kicked us out of our place!" Alan complained.

"What?" Don looked at us in disbelief; his forehead wrinkled and he scrunched his eyes.

"He started a project in the living room. Nat and I had to come here because we wouldn't have been able to sleep with all the racket!" Alan was as irritated as I was.

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I inwardly sighed and decided to have a little talk with my brother as soon as I could get away.

"Why isn't he doing it at his place?" I asked.

"He got the idea while he, Larry and I were at our place having dinner" Dad explained.

"At least you're staying here" I joked lamely. I happened to be in this hotel to follow a lead. Since I had already done that, I would go talk with Charlie.

"Well, I gotta get back to work. Good night!" I told them.

Soon, I was at Dad's place, and I knocked. Larry asked from the other side of the door.

"Who is it?"

"Me!" I said.

Larry opened the door.

"Where's Charlie?"

"He's in the kitchen doing some calculations." Larry said.

"Hey buddy!" I said, when I went there.

"Oh hi!" Charlie said happily.

"What are you up to?" I tried to be diplomatic. "Dad says that he and Natalie had to stay at a hotel!"

Charlie gave me a detailed explanation, after a while, I interupted him.

"You could have done all this at your place!" I tried to be patient. "It's not that far from here! Would it have killed you to wait?"

"I wanted to act before I lost my line of thought" Charlie argued, and just continued to work on his equations. I offered."Look, why don't you take a break, and I can help you move this stuff?"

"Don't touch a thing!" Charlie insisted.

"Come on! This isn't your house!" I reminded him with annoyance. Just then, I got a call from work, and I had to go.

"Dad's gonna hit the roof if he finds this stuff here tomorrow!" I warned him before leaving.

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Alan picked me up from the clinic, and we agreed to see if Charlie had moved his stuff. To my relief, I didn't see his nor Larry's car. My hopes, however, were dashed when we went inside, and the mess was still there. Alan found a note, and read it aloud.

"I've gone to get some data, please don't touch anything"

"I guess he's not done" I commented, trying to sound calm.

"I'll call him. Hopefully he's at his office, or the house" Alan did so. He left messages.

"Charlie, this is your father. Please pick up your mess. Nat and I can't be living like this!"

"What if he doesn't call you back?" I asked with annoyance. Part of me wanted to start cleaning up the mess.

"A Friday nightat theRitz isn't so bad is it?" he joked.

I just rolled my eyes.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

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Charlie came into the house, acting as if he owned the place.

"Hey!" He gave us a cursory glance and went back to work.

"Charlie!" I got his attention. "Either you clean this up in three hours, or so help me God; I will throw it all away!" I was only bluffing, as destroying either of my sons' things would be painful, but Charlie didn't know that.

"Dad! Don't you realize ...

"Work on this at your own place!" I snapped at him impatiently.

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I angrily started to pick up my stuff. Dad was only on my case because of Nat. Before, he would have only complained a little, now here he was making threats.

"Alan and I can't live in a hotel for an indefinite amount of time" Natalie said in apology, though I didn't know if she meant it. "And our pets might hurt themselves or eat something by mistake."

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Charlie finally moved his junk, after apologizing. Alan and I finally had our house back!

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On Tuesday, my mother called, like she usually did a few times a week. Having been born when my sister was ten and my brother was fifteen, I had been raised almost as an only child. She had, like my sister, expressed concern over the age thing, especially when Alan moved in, but changed her mind, when she got a chance to talk to Alan once or twice over the phone.

"Taking care of yourself?" she asked first thing.

"Yes! Alan sees to that!" I said. My mother thought I neglected my health.

"Well, I look forward to meeting him" she said. "Actually, your father and I are planning on going out West next week. Would it be a good time to visit?

"Sure!" I agreed happily.

"We'll spend a night with at your place, rent a car to see your sister in San Jose, and then take a plane to Seattle to see Tom." she said.

Mom and I chatted some more, and then she had to go. In their eighties, my parents had a busy schedule.

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At dinner Nat told me "My folks are coming next week. Maybe we could go out or something."

"That's wonderful" I tried to sound casual, but worried. I hadn't gone through a meet the parents dinner since I got serious with Margaret.

"They'll like you! Don't worry"

"Why don't I cook something?" I offered. "Here at the house?"

"Sounds like a plan!" she agreed.

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I went to meet them at LAX. From there, they'd follow me in a rented car. Alan stayed home to cook a delicious meal.

Before I knew it, they were walking towards me in the area close to the baggage claim. We did a group hug.

"Where's the famous Alan?" Mom asked.

"He's whipping up a wonderful dinner for us!" I assured them.

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Nervously, I checked the living room again, to make sure that it was nice and neat. Then,I returned to the kitchen. All too soon, Nat came through the door, with her parents, who looked to be in their eighties.

"Guys! This is Alan" she introduced me. "Alan, these are my folks, Zack and Hannah."

"It's a pleasure." I said, and shook each of their hands. "Welcome!"

"Smells delicious!" her father said.

I served dinner after a bit. Both of them loved it.

"So...Nat tells me that you were a city planner" her father remarked.

"Yeah I was" I said.

"Alan was on the board" Nat added.

"That's impressive!" her father said. "And now you do consulting?"

I said yes, and explained exactly what my consulting entailed.

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"Those young men, those are your sons?" Mom asked, having seen the pictures in the living room.

"Don and Charlie" Alan said." Charlie's a mathematician and Don's in the F.B.I."

"That must be hard, knowing that he puts his life on the line everyday" Dad commented.

"It is, but I figured that he was raised well." Alan said.

I was nervous. Both of them had looked surprised when they had first saw Alan. I guess they had expected him to be a little older than Steven, who had been ten years my senior, but not twenty some years older. I had told them that Alan was older than Steven.

"They sound perfect for some lucky, single girl" Dad said to my chagrin. I knew that comment was directed at me. He hinted that I should be dating one of them, not Alan. Yeah right. As if.

"Don't I know it!" Alan agreed, apparently not having gotten the hint. "But they're too busy with their careers.."

"Young adults are marrying later these days." Dad said.

"I know" Alan sighed.

"You want grandchildren don't you?" Mom asked.

"I sure do!" he admitted.

Things started to get awkward as dinner progressed and more wine was consumed.

"You know..." Dad began. "Before Nat was born, her mother and I were content with just two. After all, we had gotten one of each ..model."

"Then, there I was at forty three, **pregnant**!" Mom emphasized the last word like she did every time she told this story. However, I soon figured out that they had a different reason for telling the story this time: To scare Alan!

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I figured out quickly that Nat's parents had something up their sleeve and tried to be patient.

"My brother was born when my mother was in her late thirties." her mother continued.

"Really, Hannah?" I asked, pretending I didn't know what she was getting at..

"Didn't your sister have Zia when she was thirty seven, Zack?" she asked her husband..

"Yes she did!"

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What was with them? Mom seemed fine over the phone. Alan handled the situation with class.

"How's Miami?" I asked to change the subject.

"Wonderful as always!" Dad said. "You two should pay a visit!"

"Alan has a new business, and won't be able to leave it for a while" I commented.

"I know what that's like!" Dad said. He had been a dentist.

"Your boys, of course, are invited too!" Mom turned to Alan, then joked. "Maybe they can find themselves a couple of pretty Argentinean girls. "

"Argentinean girls?" I asked.

"Argentineans are coming to Miami in droves, even buying some of the Cuban businesses!" Dad explained.

"How old are your boys?" Mom asked.

"Don is thirty five, and Charlie just turned thirty." Alan answered. I saw Mom gulp her wine.

"Seems like a misnomer to call them boys" Dad teased, though he too had gulped his wine.

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On one hand, it bothered me that they were making prejudgments just because of the age thing, but on the other, I admitted to myself reluctantly that if, before I had met Nat, one of the boys had started to date a woman who was twenty years older, I'd probably have some concerns too.

Eventually, after some more talking of this and that, they retired to the guest room

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I went to talk to my parents in the guest room.

"What was that about?" I demanded, then turned to mom "You're were cool about this over the phone!"

"Your mother and I underestimated the age difference. We thought it was in the mid teens,at most." Dad explained.

"Alan's a great guy! You didn't even give him a chance!" I snapped, and was very annoyed at them.

"He seems subtly officious" Mom said.

"What?" I looked at her as if she had told me that two and two made five.

"When I went into the kitchen to get cinnamon for my coffee, it took me a while to find it. He rearranged it!"

"I don't tie up my ego in the kitchen, mom" I reminded her. "Besides, he uses it more than I do"

"It may look wonderful in movies and romantic novels, but intergenerational relationships are not what they are cracked up to be." Mom continued.

"I dont' even read romantic novels!" I interrupted her.

"And his kids sound like spoiled Daddy's boys" my father added.

"Huh?"

"Most men don't go out and buy their childhood home just because daddy's selling it." Father continued.

"Not the mention the fact that Alan made you stay at the a hotel, just so his baby boy, who has his own home, can work on some project!" Mom remarked with an eye roll and she looked bothered.

"It was at the Ritz, and it was just for one night." I told them.

"The principal's the same. I would never allow any of you kids to even start on a project, at our place, that would be noisy enough to force your mother and me to sleep in a hotel" Dad said.

After some more arguing, I excused myself before anyone could say something they regretted.

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The next day, I called Don to see how he was doing.

"How'd the dinner go?" he asked.

"They tried to scare me"

"What?"

"Her mother mentioned that she was in her early forties like Nat when she had her." I replied. "I guess that was her subtle way of saying that they felt that I was too old for her daughter."

" Nat's lucky to have you!" Don argued, and seemed angry.

"I was annoyed, but wouldn't you be concerned if your daughter dated someone twenty years older?"

"Not if he was like you!" Don replied, and I felt flattered.

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My conversation with Dad soon ended. I had dinner with Charlie, and told him what happened. He was pissed too. While we agreed that the relationship was wrong, it bothered us that anyone would think Dad wasn't good enough for their daughter.

"Natalie's lucky to have Dad!" Charlie protested.

"That's what I say!" I agreed.

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"Ah man!" I groaned when I opened the mailbox of my apartment to see an wedding invitation from my cuz, Greg two weeks later. This was the third time! I had been able to get out of the second one because I had been in fugitive recovery at the time.

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There were three things in life you could count on: Death, Taxes, and my cousin Greg getting married. So, I wasn't surprised, when I found a wedding invitation when I came home from teaching. Maybe Amita could come with me?

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Nat and I got an invitation to the third wedding of Gregory, one of Rach's sons about a day after Don did. I smiled when I saw that it said that I could bring a guest.

"Third time's the charm" I joked.

"The wedding's going to be in San Francisco!" Natalie noticed, and I looked forward to introducing her to the extended family.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

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The day before the wedding, Alan and I drove up to San Francisco in his car.

"The boys are coming in Don's car" Alan told me just before we left.

I felt rather nervous about the whole thing. I wasn't into huge parties, especially if I hardly knew anybody.

The ceremony took place at the Japanese Tea Garden, near the hotel where the reception was to be at. At one point, the officiator, said. "And now the bride and groom will say their vows, which they have written."

"Always and forever. Each moment with you" she looked in to the groom's eyes. It kinda sounded familiar ".It's just like a dream to me that somehow came true. I know that tomorrow; will still be the same because we've got a life of love...that won't ever change..."

As she continued, I whispered to Alan "She's using the lyrics to a song for her vows!" How tacky! If you like the song, have it played during the reception. Geeze!

"No wonder I felt like I heard it before!" Alan conceded in a soft voice. I noticed that others, like Don, were making puzzled faces.

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Soon after the ceremony, Charlie and I went to the place, where the reception was to be. On the way, in my SUV, Charlie asked.

"Is it me, or did the bride's vow sound familiar?" Charlie asked me, confusion in his voice.

"They were lyrics from a song called 'Always and Forever' ".

"Oh..." He raised an eyebrow.

Unfortunately, Amita couldn't come because of school.

"I hope the ceremony didn't give Dad any ideas!" Charlie whined.

"Don't worry buddy! It's not gonna come to that!" I assured him.

The reception was in the banquet room of some hotel. The floors were the color of cherry wood. Large bouquets were on every table.

We sat at the same table as Dad and Natalie. I soon got up to get myself a drink to hold me over until dinner was served.

As I ordered my drink from the open bar, Sarah, one of Aunt Rach's kids joined me. We hugged. She had her hair in a nice bun, and wore the tell tale brides maid dress.

"Hey!" I said, and then offered. "Do you want something?"

"I'm fine for now. I'll get hammered later." She teased. "Guess who's here?"

"Who?"

"Gussy!"

"You're kidding!" I exclaimed. He was one of Uncle Frank's kids and hardly went to any family events. The hobby of my weird cuz, an accountant, was the raising and breeding of newts.

"So, I see you dad brought a date?" she asked.

"Yeah. Aunt Rach told you didn't she?" I asked'

"She might have mentioned it, yeah" She said diplomatically. I could only imagine what the 'mentioning' entailed.

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"Want me to get you a drink babe?" I asked Alan after a while.

"I'm fine."

"I'll be back" I got up and went to the open bar. Some guy with yellow rimmed glasses was talking to someone about the joys of newt raising, then he started to lament.

"If only humans could mate like newts. It would be so much simpler!" the guy with the glasses lamented. He proceeded to talk about Newt mating rituals.

"It does seem a bit more straightforward in the animal kingdom, doesn't it?" I commented politely. "But there are still intricacies involved, at least with some species. I should know, I'm a vet!"

"You are?" he asked.

"Yeah, though I'm more of a fur and feathers specialist" I added as a disclaimer so that he wouldn't start bombarding me with questions like what brand of lights are better?

"You don't have a lot of amphibians in your practice?" he asked.

"I get the occasional frog or toad" I said. Then I quickly ordered my drink.

"More people should get newts." He said.

"What made you decide to get into newt breeding?" I asked.

"I saw them at a pet shop, and got myself a couple. The rest as they say is history" He said, then proceeded to tell me what Newt breeding entailed.

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"Gus is talking to Nat!" Charlie told me with evil glee. Dad was temporarily at another table talking with Uncle Frank.

"Even a vet's gotta be bored by that!" I smirked.

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He really got animated about his lecture. After a while, Don came up to us, and said,

"Dad's looking for you"

Excusing myself, I left.

"There you are!" he told me. "Charlie told me that you were being tortured by Gus's lecture. So I sent Don to rescue you.

"I've heard worse" I said while looking at the pink, yellow and blue carnations that made up the table bouquet.

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When Natalie was out of hearing distance, Gus asked with annoyance.

"Are you dating her or something? We were having a nice talk. Your Dad just wanted to know where she was!" He had a weird nasal voice.

"My Dad is dating her"

"Ha-ha! A simple yes would have been fine" he rolled his eyes and walked away. I guess Gussy had started to like Nat.

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Dad and Natalie returned to our table by dinner. When the appetizers where being served, I asked Charlie, Natalie, and Dad if they wanted me to get them something from the open bar. They all said no.

As I arrived there I overheard Sarah, and Melinda, one of Uncle Frank's kids talk about Natalie. They didn't see me.

"Did you see Uncle Alan's date?" Melina asked.

"Date nothing! My mom says that they're living together!" Sarah said in that annoying gossipy voice of hers.

"I don't believe it!" Melinda exclaimed, though she conceded "They did look like they have been dating for a while."

"Yeah. My mom's not happy about it" Sarah shook her head.

Melinda joked "Isn't Uncle Alan a bit too old to have a midlife crisis?"

"Because of this, my mom made my Dad promise that, if she goes first, he's not gonna date anyone more than twelve years younger." Sarah chuckled, as I started to get annoyed. What business was it of theirs?

"Oh really?" I asked in my casual voice.

"Don! Come on!" Melinda groaned. "You probably feel the way we do! We're on your side, man!"

"The age thing is none of your business!" I snapped. "And at least my dad didn't feel the need to buy a Harley, like some other men I know!" I referred to my Uncle Frank. With that I walked away, before things got ugly. No one talked that way about my dad!

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"Something wrong Don?" I asked him when he sat down roughly on the table. His face was neutral, but it didn't fool me. Something was bothering my son.

"They didn't' have the beer I wanted" Don told me. I knew he was lying. "When are they serving the salad?"

"Are you sure?" I asked, ignoring his attempt to change the subject.

"It's fine!" He insisted. Before we could argue some more, the salad came and I decided to drop the subject, for now.

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Meeting Alan's relatives had been a bit of a process. They all seemed nice, and one of Rach's grandkids expressed interest in becoming a vet.

After dinner, people danced and talked. I took off to the ladies room. Then, I went outside to get some fresh air and to take a break from being social. It was a habit of mine during big parties. The hotel was pretty with its missionesque decor. Its fountain had an abstract mosaic at its bottom, which was almost covered in pennies. Then, I admired the cityscape of the city. After a bit, I heard a familiar voice say.

"There you are!"

It was Don.

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I figured she'd be outside. To say that Natalie wasn't as social as Dad would be the understatement of the year.

"Dad's looking for you." I told her.

"Was he afraid that I was flushed down the toilet?" she joked.

"It's been half an hour since anyone's seen you!" I reminded her, but nicely. I remember what I went through when I met Kim's family. It was kinda overwhelming at first.

"Half an hour?" she gave me a puzzled look.

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"Yeah" he told me. "Why don't we rejoin the party?"

"Go ahead. I'll be back in a few." I told him, not quite ready to join the crowd.

He raised his eyebrows. They were barely visible as the hotel's outdoor lights were kind of dim.

"It's getting cold" he hinted, and pointed to the hotel.

"I'm fine" I inwardly sighed. His way of being subtle sucked.

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Natalie can't just hide from the party forever! The sooner she returned to the party the better. Kinda like takingoff a band aid quickly.

Just then, Charlie joined us.

"Someone said you went outside" he told me, then saw Nat. "Dad's looking for you"

"Tell him that I'll be back in a few" she said, and started to study the cityscape.

After some more nagging from the two of us, she finally agreed to go back.

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"There you are!" Alan said when he saw me come in. "Where were you?"

"She was just getting some fresh air" Don told him. It was surprising to see him kinda defending me, especially since his father wasn't mad.

"It is a nice evening" Alan agreed, as I kissed him.

Eventually, it was time for a game, where you can dance with the bride or groom, but only if you pin some money on the one you dance with. It's a good way to get a down payment on a house I guess. If they plan on living in the bay area, they're gonna need all the help they could get!

"It must have been the bride's idea" Charlie commented. "He never did this at the other weddings"

"Could you lend me a dollar, buddy?" Don asked "I wanna see if she's as nutty as the other wives"

"You don't have a dollar in your wallet?"

"I don't have change" Don replied as Charlie rolled his eyes, and lent his brother a dollar. Their interaction reminded me of the banter that I developed with my brother and sister in adulthood.

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So, I danced with the bride, Gigi. She had on a simple, very light pink dress. The song, 'Save the Last Dance', played. We did some small talk. She seemed pretty normal, which surprised me.

Soon, it was Gussy's turn. He glared at me as I stepped away. Then, I returned to our table.

"I hope to see you dance with your own bride someday" Dad told me.

"Dad..come on!" I rolled my eyes. Why must he always nag me about this? I'll marry when I'm ready not before.

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"So, was the bride nutty?" I asked Don. I wanted to know if my dollar was well spent.

"She seemed nice and normal."

"Maybe your cousin Greg finally found the right girl" Dad said optimistically. "At least they got a normal cake this time."

"What?" Don asked as I laughed, and Natalie looked at Dad with puzzlement.

"During the second wedding reception, they had a chocolate cake with this blue disgusting frosting that had caviar in it!" I explained and made a face just thinking about it.

"Ugh!" Don exclaimed.

"Doesn't sound appetizing." Natalie remarked.

"Your Aunt Rachael hit the ceiling when she found out that was going to be the cake for the reception." Dad told us. He, like me and Don, had his jacket draped over the chair.

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Then the DJ returned, so that there could be some more general dancing. Charlie and I sat it out, while Dad danced with Nat to a couple of slow tunes. Of course, the DJ played Luther Vandross' 'Here and Now.' Natalie seemed to like that song a lot as she smiled when the introductory chords started. Dad looked happier than he did in ages. Just having her in his arms made him joyful. After a while,I noticed that Natalie wasn't as good a dancer as he was. Dad had learned how to dance from Mom. She could really cut a rug! I started to remember a time in which he was dancing with Mom. Then, I gulped my drink.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

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It had pleased me when Nat had decided to wear that lovely emerald green dress of hers. I loved dancing with her. Thankfully, the DJ stuck to having slow songs for a bit longer.

I held her a bit closer, and then my nephew Gussy, ruined the moment.

"Can I cut in for a bit?" he asked.

"Sure, if Nat wants to" I said. If he hadn't been my brother's son... Damn it!

"Actually, Alan and I were about to go sit down." Nat said to my relief. So that's what we did.

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Weirdly enough, as Dad and Nat rejoined Don and me at our table, I felt bad, at least for Dad. He looked so happy, even his eyes lit up. It would have been perfect if he had been dancing with mom. She really knew how to cut a rug! Whenever my parents danced, even the young couples envied them.

"I'm going to get myself a drink" Nat excused herself. "Any of you guys want anything?"

"I'm fine." Dad said.

"Don't run away on us, again" Don said in a teasing way, though I knew he was warning her.

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Eventually, the cake was cut and the caterers distributed the slices. Little by little, the party dissipated. Charlie and I left it around one in the morning, and went to our hotel room.

We were both back at work by Monday

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Some nights later, I dropped in during a night when Natalie had to work late. Dad told me that she and her partners developed this system of taking turns at having evening appointments when two of them got married and started to have kids.

The couch was very comfortable, and I, after a long day, felt tired. It didn't help that I had been called back around four in the morning that day. Despite my efforts, I couldn't keep my eyes open enough to watch the television, and Dad eventually turned it off.

"Shh..." I heard him say and I soon felt a blanket cover me. "Rest. I'll make you breakfast in the morning."

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It was around eleven when I got home. To my surprise, the living room light was off. Alan usually left it on if I was coming home late. I heard snoring. Guess he fell asleep on the couch. Hmmm. it wasn't like him to bother to turn off the light before falling asleep on the couch. I checked on him, and saw a body under the blanket. I gently shook Alan. All I got was an annoyed groan, which sounded different. Shrugging, I said.

"Alan! Come to bed!" I only bugged him because lying on the couch for long periods of time wasn't good for the back.

"Dad! You said that I could sleep here!"

"Don?" I was surprised and chagrinned.

"Natalie?" he quickly sat up.

"I'm so sorry! I thought it was your dad sleeping on the couch."

"I feel asleep and he told me I could stay until breakfast tomorrow." Don explained. I could see him rubbing his eyes in the darkness.

"I see..."

"I hope that isn't a problem"

"Of course not. You and Charlie are welcome anytime!" I told him.

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"Nat! You woke Don?" Dad asked. I could tell that he was trying to hide his annoyance. Guess he heard us.

"I thought it was you on the couch!" she explained.

"It's not a big deal." I dismissed.

"Why don't you go to the guest room, then?" Dad offered.

"Sure"

The next morning, I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth after Dad finished doing the same, and shaving. When I came out, I saw Natalie, sleepily getting out of the main bedroom wearing nothing but one of dad's night shirts.

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"Uh..Good morning..." Don said. Crap! I had forgotten that he had stayed the night, and I wasn't wearing much.

"Good morning!" I quickly got into the bathroom. Soon, I went to the dining room for breakfast. Alan had gotten up early, and gotten all out with it.

"Did you put cocaine in your coffee?" I teased as I came into the kitchen to get some coffee, and saw him running around.

"I'm so glad Don stayed the night!" he told me, while flipping some bacon and after saying good morning. "It would have been dangerous for him to drive as tired as he was."

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Dad made Natalie and me and eggs, over medium, with bacon, and toast.

"Dad! Thanks! You didn't' need to do this!" I told him.

"You can't live on take out indefinitely" he teased.

As I ate, I couldn't help but think about how much worse last night could have been. What if she had decided to do something frisky? I shuddered at the thought and still would even if she weren't dating Dad.

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"One word to the wise" Don told me as we both sat at his desk "Don't go to Dad's place if you're tired!"

"Huh?"

"I fell asleep on Dad's couch last night, and Natalie woke me, thinking it was Dad" he explained. "Then, this morning, I had to see her wearing nothing but one of his night shirts because she's not exactly a morning person and was totally out of it.

"Sounds awkward" I remarked.

"It was, but it could've been worse..." Don ate some more of his Quiznos sandwich.

"Don't remind me!" I sighed. "When is Dad gonna come to his senses?"

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The next time Charlie and I visited Dad, Natalie was home. I had felt tired and even coughed a bit during the past two days, though I hadn't done anything about it. This got worse after dinner, which I didn't eat much of. Eating had become an obligation, rather than a pleasure.

"I don't like the sound of that cough!" Dad worried. "You should go to a doctor!"

"I'm fine!" I said between coughs.

"Nat, why don't you listen to Don's chest?" Dad asked Nat. I could tell the suggestion made her uncomfortable and conflicted. The woman knew that she wasn't qualified to diagnose humans, but how do you talk logic to a worried parent?

"Nat's a vet!" Charlie pointed out the obvious.

"Cats and dogs have lungs don't they?" Dad countered. "So does Don! She's just going to see if Don needs to see a doctor right away."

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Alan, knowing his son, excused himself to go to the kitchen, and made Charlie do the same after I got my medical bag from the bedroom. .Gingerly, Don started to unbutton his shirt. His chest was as hairy as Alan's, but with less gray.

"That's not necessary!" I told him. "I listen though fur all the time! A shirt is nothing!" That was true.

"Okay" he redid the buttons.

"Just breathe normally." I said and listened with my stethoscope. His chest was congested and Don seemed to be maybe in the early stages of a respiratory infection, but I already knew that from the fact that he coughed a lot, and looked haggard. So I told him "We're done. You should ideally take better care of yourself by resting, and taking an OTC. Going to a doctor wouldn't be such a bad idea. You probably have insurance anyway right?"

"Yeah through work" he said, glad that it was over.

"Just don't mention that a vet examined you" I requested.

"Sure. Thanks for taking a look."

I called Alan from the kitchen.

"Well?" He asked.

"He's in the early stages of a respiratory infection" I said. "He just needs to take care of himself, and maybe go to a doctor, just in case."

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I had been relieved when she told me that it wasn't necessary to unbutton my shirt. Natalie had been quite professional and gentle in how she listened to my chest. I guess it comes from having to be careful about startling patients, who act on instinct, and have the potential to scratch or bite. Natalie had smartly worded her conclusions so that Dad wouldn't think she was blowing him off.

"You need to see a Doctor!" he told me.

"I'll just get some Nyquil and Dayquil. I'll be fine!" I argued.

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Around ten, Don and I both left their place.

"So how did it really go?" I asked. It must have been awkward!

"She gave it to me straight" he said.

Don caught a very nasty, stressful case the next day. He worked himself, me and his team very hard. This took a toll on his health and two weeks later, his respiratory problem got so bad that he called in sick, on the very day that Dad came into surprise us with food. He hadn't seen us for a while because we had been so busy.

"Where's Don?" he asked, after we said hi.

"He's following a lead" I lied badly, to avoid worrying him. "Just leave the food here."

"I was hoping to see him" Dad said. "Will he be returning soon?"

"I don't know. I'm just the consultant here"

"Did something happen to him?" Dad asked worriedly. "Where is he?"

"He's at home!" I admitted.

Dad's eyes widened and he said "I'll go check on him"

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As quickly as I could, I went to Don's apartment. He must really be sick if he decided to take a day off, especially given the case. On the way, I made an appointment with my doctor.

A haggard, pale, coughing Don answered the door. He wore nothing but pajamas.

"Dad?" He tried to stand up straighter.

"Let's get you to a doctor. I made an appointment." I insisted.

"It's fine!"

"Fine nothing! Go get dressed! After we see him, you're coming home with me!"

"Dad! I'll be better here"

"Don..." I began.

"Look, I'll go see the Doctor, but we're coming right back!" he reluctantly said.

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On the way, Dad scolded me.

"If you had gone when I told you to, you wouldn't be this sick! When are you going to learn? You can't catch anyone in the condition you're in..." On and on he went.

After waiting for what seemed like a long time, the doctor saw me, diagnosed it as Bronchitis, and gave me a prescription for antibiotics.

"Bronchitis is not the common cold!" Dad reminded me as we got out of the building. "You need someone to take care of you, Don, and make sure that you don't overdo it."

"Dad..."

"Either you come with me, or I'll stay at your apartment!"

"I'll go with you" I agreed unwillingly.

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Alan called me at work to say that Don had gotten bronchitis and that he was going to stay at our place until he got better.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

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"That's terrible! Need me to come over?" She asked. "I could cancel some appointments and be home early."

"Don't worry. Come home when you can" I told her. "I'm about to make Don some chicken soup."

"That'll do wonders!" she said.

"I hope so! Well, I need to get the soup started for Don" With that we said our good byes and I started on the soup. Don was lying down on the couch, watching T.V.

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As soon as I saw that Dad was busy, I decided to call the office to see how the case was progressing. So, I discreetly got the phone that was on a small table next to the couch. Layla, as usual, was resting on the cable box after inspecting me. Unfortunately, I was caught by Dad

"Give me that phone!" He grabbed it from me before I could even dial. "You are going to rest!"

"Dad! Come on!" I complained, and he took it with him. I watched T.V.

Eventually, Dad brought a T.V tray, and then served me the soup. The cat hovered nearby.

"Layla!" Dad scolded. "I already gave you chicken! Leave Don alone!"

Annoyed, the cat went back to the satellite box.

The soup was okay, but I wasn't really in the mood for eating. I just wanted to rest. It took effort just to sit up and eat.

Around six, Natalie came home.

"Feeling any better?" she asked after Dad gave her a hello kiss.

"Not really" I shook my head.

"Between your Dad's TLC, and the antibiotics, you'll recover from this" she assured me.

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Don tried to respond, but coughed instead. Poor Guy! He looked terrible.

"Would you like some soup?" Alan offered "I made a lot"

"Sure" I served myself. It gave me energy, and tasted wonderful. So, I told Alan "This could raise the Dead!"

He smiled.

Sports, of course, blared on the T.V. Alan sat with Don, and I did as well, but read a book from this series about, a necromancer. After a bit, Don started to cough a lot.

"Babe, I think we've got vapor rub in the bathroom." I said, and then got up to get it.

"It's fine" Don said when I handed him the bottle. Guess he'd rather cough than smell it.

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"It'll help with the congestion in your chest!" Dad argued. After some more nagging from him, I put it on when Natalie went to the kitchen. She returned with something for me.

"Here's a little something. It's lemon tea with Honey. It'll do you good" Natalie gave me the mug.

"Thanks!" I drank it and found the tea to be pretty good. At ten or so, Dad shooed me to bed.

"You need your rest!" he insisted.

The guest room had a small T.V, but no satellite. By the smell of the sheets, I knew that Dad had put in the some clean ones.

I woke up coughing. Seeing the glow in the dark clock, I saw that it was half past midnight.

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Since it was Friday night, I was still up, watching T.V. On my way to the bathroom, I heard Don coughing, so I went in to see what was wrong. Alan of course, beat me to it. He and Don were arguing.

"Put some more vapor rub on yourself!" Alan ordered.

"Fine..." Don coughed harshly.

"Could you get me the Nyquil?" Alan asked me.

"Sure babe" I got it, and then gave the bottle to Don.

After a while, the coughing got better.

"I'll be in the next room if you need me" Alan told Don

"Thanks Dad"

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"Are you coming to bed soon?" I asked as we left the guest room. I hated to sleep alone.

"In a bit." she said.

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For breakfast, I made Don Oatmeal and toast and served it to him in bed around eleven.

"Dad! I could've gotten up!" he protested, while coughing. I straightened the blankets. My son liked to think that he didn't need to be taken care of. Sometimes, I blamed myself, because of the attention we had to give Charlie. Margaret and I, it would seem, had made Don believe that he needed to or could take care of himself. Sometimes I wished that I could go back in time and knock some sense into my thirty something self.

Just then, Charlie came into the room.

"Natalie told me that you were here" he said to his brother.

"Any leads?" Don asked.

"No shop talk!" I ordered, gave them a stern glare, and went to eat breakfast with Nat.

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"How's Don?" I asked Alan, when he returned from the kitchen with a full mug of coffee and his breakfast

"The same. I just hope Charlie's not wearing him out with shop talk!" he groaned.

"Has he taken his medicine?"

"When he's finished with breakfast, I'll give it to him" Alan promised.

Before we finished our breakfast, Charlie was on his way out.

"Going already Charlie?" Alan found it odd, as did I.

"Don wants me to get back to work" he told us.

"Aren't you at least going to have some breakfast?" I offered.

"I'll grab something on the way" With that he left.

Monday came and Don really hadn't shown any improvement, so Alan decided to take the day off. I offered to do the same, but he told me that it wasn't necessary.

"Hot nights?" Vera teased me on Monday morning. Guess I looked tired. God knows I felt it.

"No...one of Alan's sons is sick, and he coughed almost the whole night" I explained.

Around ten, I had a house call. My partners and I did them, though we didn't' really advertise that fact and we charged extra, especially if it was an animal you could bring to the clinic. The patient, a large boa constrictor, which could never fit into the clinic, or on the examining table, was at a pet store. An employee led me to a back room. The animal was about twelve feet in length and quite wide.

"He's got the sniffles, and hasn't been eating much" she told me. That wasn't good. A snake with a respiratory infection can't smell, and therefore won't eat. This leads to physical weakness, which in turn could cause the poor animal to get something worse, like pneumonia. I injected broad spectrum antibiotics, into it, and told the employee to do the same at the indicated times.

Since the pet store, was near my and Alan's place, I stopped by to see how Don was doing.

"Hey Nat!" Don called me from the couch.

"How are you feeling Don"

"Better!" he said, but didn't look it. Plus, he started to cough right then.

"Nat!" Alan smiled and kissed me. He had been sitting with Don, doing crosswords.

"I had a house call nearby, and thought I'd drop in" I explained.

"You do house calls?" Don was surprised.

"Yeah, but we keep it on the down low" I replied. "It was a boa with a respiratory infection."

"Snakes get respiratory infections?" Don asked. I noticed that he was still wearing his father's pajamas.

"If you've got lungs, you can get respiratory infections" I explained.

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"Want me to make you lunch?" Dad generously offered Natalie.

"I've gotta make my next appointment." she told him. "I'll get fast food on my way back."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah I am." she gave him a kiss, then left.

For lunch, Dad made lentil soup, which I hated.

"It's good for you!" He insisted, when he served it on the TV table and I just picked at it. "One of the reasons why you're sick is because you live on take out!"

Reluctantly, I ate it in between coughs.

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Don actually looked worse, when I came home from work.

"How is he?" I asked Alan softly when he gave me a kiss in the doorway.

"He started to cough more, and I think his temperature is up." Alan told me with concern.

"Hey Natalie" Don said with less energy than before, as he saw some game.

"Here's another blanket for you, Donnie" Alan put another one on him.

"It's fine! I don't need another blanket!" Don argued like a five year old. Why did he have to fight over everything? Couldn't he just appreciate his father's attentions?

"Why aren't you wearing socks?" Alan asked him when he added the blanket

"I dunno"

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"Well, put them on!" Dad scolded and gave me a pair. Natalie made me some tea.

"Thanks!" I told her, when she gave it to me.

"Anything else?" she asked.

"No, thanks."

The tea helped a little, and tasted pretty good. I still felt like crap though. I could barely breathe, and just walking made me tired. I had aches all over, and felt cold.

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When the game was over, Don handed me the remote control. Then he told Alan

"Dad, I think by tomorrow, I should be well enough to go home."

"Go home? In your condition?" Alan asked with disbelief. I didn't blame him.

"I think the worst is over" Don insisted.

"I'll be the one to decide that!" Alan told him sternly. I agreed the Don needed to be taken care of. He looked pale, and had no energy whatsoever.

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The truth was that I preferred to stay at my apartment. I could easily watch T.V all day there, and make myself instant soup. It would be more comfortable for me. Natalie was nice enough, but living with her was annoying. She walked too loudly, and shut the closed the door roughly. Then, she read some weird and dumb books. It irritated me how she called Dad 'babe'. You don't call men in their sixties Babe. Period.

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Don kept Alan and me awake, despite us being in bed, with his loud coughing. It's times like this that I wished that I had sleeping pills, which would help me doze off despite the noise. We checked on him, made the guy put on vapor rub, and gave him Nyquil. Then, we returned to bed. Alan, in the darkness, started to talk about how he felt partly responsible for Don's illness getting to this point, because of how he and his wife had to give so much attention to Charlie, as a child, that Don was too often parented on autopilot, causing Don to not be willing to rely on anybody.

"You two did the best you could, babe" I held his hand. "You can't expect yourself to know then what you know now."

He kissed my hand and held me closer

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The next day, around six in the evening, I was about to get up and grab some Nyquil from the bathroom, but Natalie went in first to shower, and Dad joined her sometime later, when he thought I wasn't looking. With a sigh, I coughed my ass off, and watched T.V.

For dinner, Dad, wearing that dumb 'real men love cats' tee-shirt, made fried chicken with steamed rice. A weird combo. He must've done it for Natalie because he usually makes mashed potatoes with fried chicken.

"I saved you a thigh" he told me while serving it with a side of rice, in the living room. I wasn't really hungry, but it beat the green pea soup he made me eat at lunch a few hours ago.

After dinner, I watched T.V while Dad played scrabble with Natalie.

"Why do you always get the question marks?" she whined during the game a couple of times.

Eventually, Dad won the game. I was glad.

"Guess you'll need to load the dishwasher" I could hear the smirk in his voice.

With a playful sigh, she got up and started. Then Dad joined me and asked who was playing.

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Sometime later, Don decided to bring up the going home thing again.

"I actually felt hungrier today" Don boasted.

"You only ate half of your soup, and that was because I nagged!" I pointed out. "Then you left most of the rice"

"The rice didn't have enough salt" Don said as an excuse."But I ate all of the chicken."

Then I realized what my son was trying to do. I asked "Is this your subtle way of telling me that you are well enough to go back to your place?"

"Yeah..." He admitted.

I sighed and shook my head. The 'Let Don go Home' campaign was getting on my nerves.

"I feel like I'm imposing!" Don argued.

"You're my son! You could never impose!" I told him. I couldn't let him go home in his condition. "Would you let me go home if I were you and you were me?"

"Let me watch the game!" Don went into avoidance mode rather than admit that he would do the same thing in my place.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

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On Thursday, Alan had a meeting that he couldn't miss for any reason. So, I took the day off.

I woke up to Don's coughing around seven. With a groan, I got up, but he was actually in the kitchen eating cereal. His way of eating it, reminded me of Alan's.

"Good morning! How are you feeling?" I asked.

"A little better" he told me. "You didn't need to stay"

"I don't mind" I said. Alan had made me promise to make sure that Don didn't do anything work related.

To my surprise, I noticed that Don was also eating Rocko's biscuits! They were from a place called 'The Barkery at the Ark', and sold homemade dog treats and accommodated dogs and their caregivers who wanted to just hang out, and enjoy the atmosphere. They were in clear bags, and I kept them in the cupboard. Alan almost made the same mistake.

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I munched on the cookies that I had found on the cupboard. They were pretty good.

"Uh…Don…those are actually biscuits that I bought for Rocko" she said, reluctantly.

I spit it out "What?"

"They're from a place that specializes in Dog treats." She said.

"Why in the hell is it doing in the kitchen with the human food?"

"It's the safest spot, out of Rocco's reach" she said.

I chugged down the leftover milk from the cereal.

Natalie let the dog in from the back yard, and the cat out of the laundry room. Quickly, the dog smelled that one of his treats was on the table. I gladly gave my half eaten biscuit to him while Natalie put out the food for both of them.

"How's my princess?" she cooed at the cat, which just ate.

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Seeing Don's face at hearing that he was eating dog biscuits had been priceless. However, I hid my laughter.

"Natalie, would it bother you not to know how one of your patients is doing" Don asked, I knew his motivation. He wanted to guilt me into letting him do work related stuff.

"Yes, and it's something I often deal with" I told him honestly. "I hate it, but what can a person do?" I took the wind out of his sails.

Soon, I was making myself coffee, and toasting some bagels to have with cream cheese. I offered Don one, but he declined.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang

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Natalie got the door, with a bagel in her hand. A guy with gray hair and blue eyes greeted her.

"Nat?" he asked. "Would you be up for a consult?"

"Sure!..." Natalie wrinkled her nose "Though by the smell of it, I think I may be too late"

"I think this animal was killed by human hands" he said.

Natalie didn't seem to believe him. She shooed him outside. As I looked out the window, I called Charlie, who told me that David, with Colby were following some hopeful leads. All too soon, Nat seemed to be on her way back into the house, so I ended the conversation.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Mack and his crazy theories!" she sighed. "He's like the Carl Kolchak of Veterinary medicine!"

"He thinks Aliens killed the animal?" I joked.

"He believes that the raccoon died from being a witch's familiar" she rolled her eyes.

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Good old Mack, we had met in veterinarian school. The first time I talk to him, he asked me and a few others if it treating a centaur should be illegal for a vet.

"How long have you known him?" Don asked.

"Vet school. We were never close. He's a friend of a friend."

"Why does he know where you live then?"

"Because a friend of mine made the mistake to bring him here" I explained. He was an okay guy, but pretty weird.

"I see. Why do you think he came to you about this animal?" Don continued his questioning.

"Because I was his dominamatrix….." I joked, but added "I can't really tell you"

"Okay." He raised his eyebrows.

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Who in the hell carries around a dead raccoon who could have rabies? Shouldn't a vet know better? Why wasn't Natalie creeped out at some guy, she hardly knows coming to see her about some kooky theory?

"Aren't you worried at all?"

"He's harmless" she told me.

"Do you think he'll visit you again?" I asked.

"Hopefully not in the near future"

"Let me know if he ever gives you trouble" I offered.

"Thanks, but don't worry"

Soon, I was channel surfing while Natalie read. After a bit, I asked,

"Does this Mack have a last name?"

"Huh?"

I repeated my question.

"Why?"

"Just asking"

With a sigh she told me that his last name was 'Nelson'.

By midday, Dad was home. Natalie told him about what happened. Listening to her, one might think that this was, just one of life's annoyances. I could tell that Dad, by the look in his eyes, was concerned.

"Should we worry about this, Don?" he asked me. We all were eating some grilled cheese sandwiches, with ham, that Natalie had made to my surprise.

"Like I told Natalie, call me if there's any problems" I tried to sound casual, but not to the point, where Dad would think that I was blowing him off. Far from it.

Dad nodded.

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Don told me about the weird guy who came to show Nat a dead raccoon when I came to visit on Thursday evening. We were in the living room, while Dad was in the kitchen, and Nat was in the store.

"Why not go to his friend?" I asked suspiciously. "How can anyone memorize an address by one visit?".

"I saw them through the window." Don said. "They weren't awkward or flirting. They kinda argued, and Natalie came inside."

"What if they have a history?" I insisted. "Would you admit something like that to one of your girlfriend's kids?"

"She seemed very casual about it" Don said. "Besides, why use a dead raccoon as an excuse?"

"You two better not be talking shop!" Dad yelled from the kitchen

"We're not Dad!" Don rolled his eyes.

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"He must think that Natalie would be willing to help him. Why else come here?" Charlie stubbornly persisted.

"Maybe she's got a rep among other vets?" I shrugged. Natalie may be weird, annoying, and wrong for Dad, but she's not a cheater, or a liar.

I heard Dad get out of the kitchen and signaled for Charlie to change the subject. He did by talking about some lecture he was preparing. Natalie returned eventually

At dinner, we all ate in the dining room.

"Don told me that a colleague of yours came by to show you a raccoon" Charlie commented with his mouth full. I could hear a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"He thought that it died from being a witch's familiar" Natalie commented.

"What exactly does being a witch's familiar entail?" Charlie asked doubtfully. He didn't quite believe her.

"From what I understand, having a familiar helps your power as you can channel more of it because power goes through the animal. I've only read about it in novels, and Mack reminded me of what it meant." Natalie said.

"Why didn't he go to your mutual friend?" Charlie persisted.

"I didn't ask." Natalie said. I could feel Dad's dirty look.

"Dinner's delicious!" I commented, though I hadn't eaten much of it. There are some conversations, you know aren't going anywhere useful.

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"Yeah, it's wonderful!" I concurred with Don, as I saw Dad's frown. He looked miffed. I then added lamely "Sorry about my curiosity, I guess it felt good not to be the only one with weird colleagues."

"It's okay" she said.

After everyone had dinner, Dad said "Charlie, why don't you help me load the dishwasher?" He phrased it as a question, but I knew it was a command.

Soon, we were alone in the kitchen.

"What the hell was that about?" he demanded. "She gets harassed by someone and you start to interrogate her!"

"I was just curious…………." I half heartedly put some spoons in the machine.

"No you weren't!" Dad snapped. "You were distrustful!"

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I thought that Charlie was starting to get used to her! What's going on? How could he actually distrust Nat? She's very trustworthy and has never shown me or the boys any reason why we should feel otherwise.

"Don't you realize how much Nat has helped me to take care of your brother?" I asked him sharply.

"I'm sorry" Charlie said, as Don dropped in.

"Don't be mad at Charlie, Dad!" my oldest son defended his brother. "With mom gone, we both feel that we need to…look out for you. Right buddy?" Charlie nodded.

"I can look out for myself! Thank You!" it annoyed me that the boys felt that I needed to be taken care of. So, I left the kitchen.

I went to join Natalie on the large couch, doing crosswords, while she read.

"Is everything okay?" she asked a bit after I sat down.

"It's fine" I assured her.

Soon, Charlie left. Don went to watch T.V in the living room.

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I watched TV in the living room, and wished that I was in my apartment yet again. Dad was mad at me now because I tried to defend Charlie. Why didn't he just take my word for it, or at least be more subtle?

Dad got over his annoyance at me more or less within a day or so. Nat came home three days later with a surprise.

"Look what I found when I went to get toys for the 'kids'!" She showed us two board games. "Catopoloy, and Dogopoly! I was hoping we could play one of them?"

"Okay!" Dad, being the nice guy agreed. He did a crossword "All three of us could play now that Don's feeling better"

God! I wanna go home!

Natalie, choose Catopoly. Unfortunatly,there wasn't a square that said 'You're so sick that you must be Euthanized'. That way, I would have gotten out of the game much sooner. After forty five boring, irritating minutes, I started to cough more than I was already to the point where Dad shooed me to bed.

"But the game's getting good!" I protested, but was relieved. I could watch T.V in the guest room.

"Go!"

Another week dragged by, and Dad finally let me go home.

By and By, the month ended, and I starting to see someone. She was a prosecuter, who seemed to be a better match for me than Nadine.

"When do I get to meet her?" Dad asked me after a few weeks, then, he got the 'I've got the most brilliant idea ever face' " Why don't you two join Nat and me? We could make it a double date"

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

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"Double date?" Don repeated.

"Charlie's met her already, right?" I asked him

"Yeah."

"I know this great place, I've wanted to try! You and Jane are going to love it!" It seemed like the perfect evening. I was so happy that Don finally had a girlfriend, after all this time.

"Will Natalie be okay with this?" Don asked.

"Of course! She's as curious as I am about meeting Jane."

"I'll let you know. I got to talk to Jane" Don told me.

"Ask her if Friday is a good day.

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Double Date? With my Dad and his much younger girlfriend. Oh Geeze! I hope that Nat wasn't going to complain about how animal abuse is not punished enough. I had enough of that speech when I was living with them!

The next day, I called Jane at work.

"Don! I was just thinking about calling you!" she told me. I loved the sound of her voice, especially when she whispered.

"I'm going to dinner with my dad and his girlfriend" I told her. "I was wondering if you wanted to come, so that I won't be a third wheel?"

"Sure!" she said agreeably.

"Great! Though I gotta warn ya..." I began.

"What?"

"My dad's girlfriend is uh...not that much older than us" I wanted to prepare her for the surprise.

"Oh?"

"She's in her forties"

"I see..."

"Is Friday good?" I asked.

"Sure."

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Alan and I met up with Don and his new girlfriend at the restaurant around eight on Friday. Soft music played in the background, as we entered. Soon, Don arrived with Jane.

"Dad, Natalie, this is Jane. Jane, Dad and Natalie" Don made the introductions. We all shook hands. Soon, we were all lead to a square table, with table cloth that was the same shade of blue as a Siamese cat's eyes. A lit candle, in a domed, clear, casing stood in the middle of the table. Before the conversation could start, we were given the wine list.

"Don says you guys met on a case." Alan commented.

"Yeah, we worked together on it and when it was over, he asked me out" she said.

"Nat and I were stuck in the elevator at the doctor's" Alan shared with a smile. "We talked, and after a while I asked her out"

"And I said yes" I added.

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Jane looked great in her light green dress with thin straps. It accentuated the right places. Natalie, as usual, had to add a work anecdote.

"So, I get this couple, Brian and Mabel with a parrot, for a routine checkup. Afterwards, a passing Vet tech's cell phone rings, and the birds says James! In this sexy sultry voice. Brian starts to get demand who the hell this James person is. Mabel denies the whole thing, and they get into this heated argument. Thankfully, it turns out that Carl, one of my business partners was just finished with a patient whose caregiver was a social worker. It took her several minutes to calm them down enough to leave the building!"

"What a horrible way to find out!" Jane commented.

"I could think of worse ways to find out" I said, though I did find the story a little amusing.

We shortly got our menus and then ordered a few minutes later.

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Don's girlfriend, an African American, had a warm smile, was soft spoken, and seemed nice. I could see that Alan was counting his grand chicks before they hatched.

To my surprise, we were served bread rolls by a vet who had lost his license. I only knew how he looked like because a friend pointed him out to me in Santa Monica one day. I had heard about his fraud through the grape vine.

"That guy used to be a vet" I commented when he was out of earshot. "But he lost his license."

"Why? Was he treating humans?" Alan asked.

"From what I heard, he started selling this home made concoction, that was supposed to help feline longevity, but all it did was to shorten it, to say the least." I explained.

"That's terrible!" Alan exclaimed.

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"Was he jailed?" I asked Natalie.

"Yeah, but not for as long as he should have been!" Natalie said regretfully, as Dad motioned for me to give him some more butter. I noticed that Jane looked tense, and was wincing. Guess she was worried about Natalie having a tirade about animal abuse and how it's prosecuted.

I decided to change the subject "Is it me or is the pianist playing a Cole Porter Song?"

"It's not a Cole Porter song" Dad said.

"Oh..."

"I once had a patient, who could only sleep with the radio on" Natalie piped up. At least she went along with the flow. "It was a Pomeranian"

"My aunt has one of those!" Jane said. "Very rambunctious Dog!"

"They can be a handful" Natalie laughed.

"Do you have pets?" Jane asked.

"A Bengal cat, which was a gift, and a golden retriever that I got from the shelter" she said, while buttering some more bread.

"I've heard that Bengal cats are very smart" Jane said.

"Yeah they are." Natalie agreed.

Eventually, our food came.

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I envied Alan's dish, as I had a bit more of my own, which had too much ginger in it. So, I focused my sights on the sides. Noticing this, Alan discreetly gave me some of his entree.

"You shouldn't have!" I protested.

"I need to lower my intake of calories anyway." Alan insisted.

"Thanks babe!"

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"Is there a problem with your dish?" I asked Natalie. What was with her? Getting her and Dad's food. And since when did Dad care about his weight?

"There's a tad too much ginger in it, Don" she told me. Picky isn't she?

"Oh..." I said, as Natalie sipped some more wine. Then asked. "So..Dad...are you on some kinda of diet?"

"I'm just trying to eat less. Thanks to Rocco, I've been taking more walks around the neighborhood." Dad answered.

"oh" I said. So Natalie stuck Dad with her pet owner responsibilities?

Suddenly, a man in his fifties came up to our table. He was a blonde with green eyes, and lots of acne scars.

"Dr. Core! How are you? I didn't mean to disturb dinner with your family, but I just wanted to say hi." he said, then turned to Dad "So, how's Miami? I haven't been then since I visited my brother a few months ago."

"My father is in his eighties" Natalie explained. "This is Alan .We're dating". Since we had been eating, Dad didn't have his arm around her or anything. The main reason for this incident was their age difference. I wanted to laugh. It would have been funnier if this had happened to someone else's dad.

"I'm so sorry!" the man apologized with embarrassment. "Don't take it as an insult!"

"It's all right" Dad said graciously.

Soon, the man excused himself.

"Do you guys get this often?" I asked.

"Just sometimes" Dad told me. Then, I asked Natalie "How do you know him?

"He's got a beagle, and a dachshund that he takes to the clinic." she replied.

"Any exciting projects, Alan?" Jane asked Dad.

"A software company is moving its headquarters to the downtown area. I'm on consultant on it" Dad said. "The architect has some wonderful ideas, that I look forward to seeing implemented."

"Glad to hear." Jane told him.

"You haven't heard from the torture chamber guys again?" Nat teased.

"Huh?" I looked at her in confusion.

"Some stupid crank call I got" Dad rolled his eyes.

"Crank call?" I repeated, and Dad told me about it.

Right after that, I got a call from work. As soon as I hung up I told everyone the bad news.

"That was work. I gotta go." I looked at Jane with an apologetic face.

"Be careful" Jane squeezed my hand softly. We had come in our separate cars, so transportation wouldn't' be an issue for her. Soon, I was gone.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

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Nat, Jane, and I ordered desert. While waiting for it, we talked.

"When I first became a prosecutor, I handled a case involving animal sacrifice" Jane commented. "They claimed to be members of Santeria"

"Santeria?" I wasn't sure what that was.

"It's a religion from Cuba, which is a mixture of African religions and Catholicism" Natalie explained.

"I see"

"All the defendants were tried, and found guilty. They got jail time and community service hours." she added.

"That's great to hear!" Natalie said. "This reminds me of when a friend of a friend, heard the sound of rabbits screaming at the apartment next to him. He called the cops, and it turned out that the neighbors were sacrificing the rabbits. There was even a pentagram painted on the carpet."

"Was it Mack?" I asked.

"Yeah" she answered, then explained to Jane. "He recently came to our place to show me a dead raccoon, claiming that it had died from being a witch's familiar. Now Alan and Don are worried that he's a stalker or something"

"I would find it disconcerting if someone came to see me with a dead raccoon" Jane raised an eyebrow. The fact that she, a prosecutor found it strange and worrisome spoke volumes.

"Mack's harmless" Nat assured Jane.

"Okay, but if you ever need a restraining order, let me know" she told Natalie.

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"Thanks!" I said, but added "I doubt that I'll need it though."

"Just in case, here's my card" she gave me it. I guess Jane had seen a few too many cases involving murderous stalkers. I'd be paranoid too if I saw even half of what Don and Jane did. "Do you have Don's cell number?"

"I gave it to her" Alan said.

"Good."

I did some thinking and tried to see Mack in the eyes of someone who's never met him, and who heard about his actions. I started to see what was worrying the three of them.

Eventually, everyone went home. I thought it had gone well.

In the car, on the way back, Alan and I talked about Jane.

"I've got a good feeling about her." he said cheerfully. "They complement each other perfectly, and she understands about his schedule because of being in a similar line of work."

"I liked her too."

"She could be the one!" Alan added hopefully. "I just want Don to be happy and find that special someone"

Once we got home, and changed into our pajamas, Alan complained "The closet's disorganized again. This is going to slow us down when we need to get ready for work! An organized closet is important..."

"If I wanted a lecture on organization and tidiness, I would have gone to bed with Adrian Monk" I rolled my eyes.

"Wouldn't he have issues with that?" Alan asked drolly.

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The next day, I called Jane, to see how things went.

"Hey Stranger!" she cooed when I told her it was me.

"I'm sorry about last night" I told her.

"No worries, I've done the same thing"

"How did it go?" I asked.

"Pretty good! Your Dad seems to be a very sweet man" she commented, and I noticed that she didn't say anything about Nat.

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I was helping out in Don's newest case. When we had a little time, I asked him how the double date went. We both sat around his desk.

"Well, I missed half of it because I got called" He sighed.

"That stinks!" I said, then asked "So how did Natalie and Jane get along?"

"When I asked Jane about how it went when I left, all she said was that Dad was 'a sweet man' Not one word about Natalie." He admitted.

"We've got an ally!" I smiled.

"Dad seemed to like Jane." my brother added.

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Some days later, as I was doing some questioning, in the shady part of town, when I saw Natalie, in jeans and a light colored shirt walking around.

"Hey Natalie!" I greeted her. "What brings you here?" This wasn't exactly a safe area.

"I heard about smuggled puppies being sold in the nearby part, and I wanted to see if they were from puppy mills."

"Shouldn't the humane society and the cops handle this?" I asked.

"The humane society is more under funded than the police department." she sighed. "And I wanted to check for myself."

"Let me go with you"

"You're going to scare them off" she pooh-poohed the idea. "Your demeanor is going to give us away!"

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"It's almost dark" Don reminded me to my annoyance.

"I'm just going to check things out then call if I need to" I argued, and then decided to compromise "Why don't you just follow me, but don't let anyone see you?" He is an F.B.I agent, so he's gotta know how to do that.

"Fine."

So, with Don in tow, I walked around the park, and found a woman about Don's age selling some pit bull puppies. They looked small for being a few weeks old, and a couple of them seemed to be sick. I examined one, by pretending to coo at it, then, I, with a heavy heart left. Don joined me when it was safe.

"So, you're making your call now?"

I did so, and mentioned that I was a vet. Someone came, and asked me a few questions, as well as get my name and number. Then, he went to take care of the seller.

Afterwards, I started to walk towards my car.

"Thanks for waiting with me" I said somberly.

"What's wrong? You did a good thing"

"They're going to the pound. . ." I complained.

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"You can only do so much" I told her. While I understood where she was coming from, no animal was worth her going into a bad neighborhod. "And at least they'll get proper medical treatment there, and puppies get adopted faster right?"

"I guess I'll be going home" she said with a half smile. "Thanks again Don."

"Did you tell Dad that you were going to be late?"

" Alan's got Book club tonight"

Charlie was at my desk when I returned. We, as well as my team, were all burning the midnight oil.

"Guess who I saw at a park, in a very unsafe area?" I asked, as I sat down

"Who?"

"Natalie"

"Doing what?" he asked suspiciously.

"She was looking for people selling unhealthy puppies from puppy mills" I said, while stirring some coffee.

"Did she find any?"

"Yeah, called it in even" I told him.

"Maybe she had other reasons for going the park, and she just happened to find a person selling puppies?" Charlie again didn't quite trust Natalie.

"Natalie's love of animals is part of her weirdness" I reminded him. "She has almost as many pictures of her pets as Dad has of us! Either way, she shouldn't have gone alone. It's a good thing I saw her."

"You went with her to check out the puppies?"

"I followed close behind"

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During one of Natalie's late days, Larry and I went to Dad's place to have dinner with him.

"You make the best beef stroganoff!" Larry said. "

"Thank you" Dad replied with a smile.

"So, Natalie works late tonight?" my colleague asked.

"Unfortunately, but I'm saving her some stragonov" Dad told us.

"Don would have loved this!" Larry ate more of his food.

"But I'm sure he'd rather be with Jane" I remarked slyly and Dad chuckled.

After dinner, we, in the living room, all saw an indie movie that Larry had rented and wanted to see. The flick was weird, and frankly, had no plot, but it did make Larry laugh, for reasons I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"What is Larry laughing at?" Dad whispered. He sat next to me.

"I couldn't say..." I shrugged.

Dad got away on the pretext of making more popcorn, but returned.

"Anything significant happen?" he handed me the bowl, and I took a handful. Dad was the master of having the right salt/butter ratio.

"Random stuff, that has nothing to do with anything" I replied, while Larry laughed some more at the movie.

At ten thirty something, the cat left the warmth of the cable box, and started to run towards the front door. The dog did the same thing.

"She's home" Dad got up with a ton of relief and left for the front door. Soon, he returned with Natalie and the pets.

"Hey guys!" she said "How are you?"

"Good."

"What are you watching?" she asked.

"We haven't the faintest idea" Dad deadpanned. Natalie watched a few minutes of the movie, and shook her head.

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The following weekend, Alan went fishing in the boonies somewhere. He left early Friday morning. On Saturday night, I went with Carl and his wife to a place called Circus of the Damned where you could see stuff like zombies being raised by Necromancers, Vampires and the like. I heard that they choose pretty good actors for this stuff. I ran into Mack at a snack stand.

"Hey!" I gave him my best smile, though I hoped he wasn't there on some nutty quest.

"Hi!" he said. "How are you?"

"Good. I came with one of my business partners and his wife"

"I came to check out the snake. See if they're treating it right" he told me. One of the place's attractions was that it supposedly had the world's largest snake.

"Okay...I'll keep a close eye myself" I nodded.

Suddenly, Don appeared, wearing suit and a blue tie. Why do I keep running into him? This was weird!

"Hey Natalie!" he greeted me in a friendly voice.

"Hey Don!" I said and added "This is Mack"

"Enjoying yourself?" Don asked, sounding friendly, though I knew better.

"I was just here to see if they're treating the snake right" Mack told Don. Then, my fellow vet turned to me "Is this your boyfriend or something?"

"It's my boyfriend's son" I said, and sighed at Don's suspicion.

"Okay..." Mack raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm gonna get some food, and go"

"You do that" Don said.

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When the guy left, I asked her

"Did you expect to see him here?"

"No!" she said. I believed her. "Are you here because of work?"

"Yeah" I told her.

"How's Jane?"

"Busy"

"I know the feeling"

"Are you here alone?" This Mack guy didn't sit well with me.

"I'm with my business partner and his wife" she answered.

"Stick with them" I advised.

"What? Mack's harmless. He gets fixated on quests, not people" She told me

"Better safe than sorry" I reminded her.

"Well, I gotta go before they start to worry. I'll see you around"

" Why don't you let me walk you back to your friends?"

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Don 'escorted' me as far as he could, and reminded me to call him if I feared for my safety.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine"

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Alan came home on Sunday, happy, and with some fish to cook for dinner.

"I've got this wonderful idea!" he boasted as we ate.

"Do you now?" I was eager to hear it.

"Why don't we take a trip with Don and Jane for the weekend?"

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

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"Sounds great babe, but wouldn't they rather go on any trip alone?" She sipped some wine.

"They and We would have time alone on this trip." I told Natalie.

"Where were you thinking of us going?"

"Vegas, Santa Barbara,...We all need to discuss it" I told her.

On Tuesday, I called Don on his cell.

"Eppes." he answered.

"It's me!"

"Hey Dad! How's it going?" Don sounded tired. He must have had a long day so far.

"I've got an idea! Why don't you and Jane join Natalie and me on a short getaway this weekend?" In my opinion it would do them good.

"Sorry, Dad, I've got this important case, maybe when things settle down, we can discuss it?"

"Okay" I felt disappointed, but understood.

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A whole weekend with Natalie? No thanks! Besides, I had work, and so did Jane. Even when this case gets settled, I'll just tell dad that Jane has an important case. I told Charlie about Dad's invitation.

"Sounds like a lousy weekend" he commented.

"Tell me about it."

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I called Natalie and told her that Don wouldn't be able to get away for the weekend.

I bemoaned "It would do them good to get away"

"You're just hoping that the time away would get Don to think about proposing" she teased me gently.

"A man can dream can't he?" I asked.

"They haven't been dating that long" Nat reminded me with a soft laugh.

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"Dad asked me about us joining him and Nat for a weekend getaway but I used work as an excuse to say no" I told Jane, while we had dinner at her place, sitting in the square table at her kitchen and eating some garlic pasta that she had whipped up.

"You're not too fond of her are you?" she teased. I had let my doubts about Natalie slip some days back, and Jane had agreed with me one hundred percent.

"Dad could do better, if you ask me" I commented, and drank some more wine. "I mean, what does he get out of this relationship, besides the companionship of a much younger woman, who is weird, and annoying?"

"He'll wise up, just like my father did" Jane assured me. Her own father, after becoming widowed at fifty had dated a much younger woman.

"That's what I figure." I said.

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Natalie and I had a quiet evening at home, with me doing crosswords, while she watched T.V.I started to have a thought.

"The Land lady's kids live out of state" I remarked.

"Yeah, in Texas and Oregon, right?" Natalie agreed. "One is a doctor, while the other is a lawyer."

"I was just thinking that should they inherit the place, they just might decide it's more trouble than its worth and sell their mother's properties"

"That's a good point." she nodded. "Having tenants is a pain in the ass. I've seen the headaches friends of mine have gone through."

After a bit, we changed the subject. Around ten thirty, I kissed her good night and went to bed.

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"Don't stay up too late" he advised before leaving for the bedroom.

"I'll try not to" I said.

The next day, around eleven in the morning, I had a house call. The patients, a couple of tabbies, were getting a checkup. Their owner, named Manny, was an agoraphobe, who wrote instruction manuals for a living.

I knocked and he let me in.

"How are you Dr. Core?" he asked me with a smile. "Thanks for coming!"

"Fine. You?"

"Good, I'm working on the German version of a manual for a toaster oven." He replied. The man knew several languages.

"I see" I came into the house. It was rather messy, with tell tale Ikea furniture. The living room floor had wooden tiles, and the walls were painted a greenish color. A couple of cat trees were near the windows. They weren't cheap ones either.

"Where are the cats?" I asked.

"Tom! Ben!" he called and they came. I was glad that he wasn't totally alone most of the time.

"Hey sweethearts!" I cooed, and gave them both treats. Tom's coat was a light orange with white trimming, while Ben had a brown coat.

"Are there any complaints?" I inquired of Manny while checking one of the cats.

"They're both doing great!" he told me.

"That's good" I said.

"Could you cut their nails?" he requested "I could never do it."

"Sure"

After I finished with the checkup and nail cutting, I decided to have an early lunch since my next appointment wasn't until one, thanks to a cancellation.

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Natalie came to my office, with In and Out bags. They had the best cheeseburgers.

"Thought you'd be hungry" she said.

"I'm starting to be" I told her as we kissed. Then, I asked "How's work"

"I had a house call before going to In and Out" she looked at the blueprints on my desk "Is this that loft project you told me about?"

"Yeah." I rolled them up, and we had lunch around my desk.

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Dad came to my office at Cal Sci one morning in a panic.

"Charlie, I've got a situation!" he exclaimed. Part of me hoped that He had decided to move out, but also worried that it might be serious.

"What's wrong?"

"The landlady at our place died! Her kids are selling the house, so they're not renewing the lease, which expires in a month! Could we move in with you?" Dad gave me his most serious look.

"I don't know...a month seems like enough time to find a place" I told him. I didn't want to have Natalie and her pets moving in.

"We need somewhere close to where we work, that accepts pets, and is within our price range!" Dad argued. "That's going to take longer than a month to find!"

"I don't know..."

"Where else can we go? Don's apartment is much too small!"

"Fine..." I agreed reluctantly. Now I had to put up with Natalie, and get used to sharing the house again. Plus, pets could mess with my stuff! Damn.

Soon, after thanking me, Dad left, and I discovered that not only was I late for a class, but I had forgotten my PowerPoint presentation for it at home.

This just wasn't my day.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

When that next class, which was a disaster, finished, I called Don with the bad news.

"Dad and Nat are moving into my place."

"What?"

"The landlady died, and her kids are selling the house" I explained with a groan.

"I'm so sorry buddy!" he told me.

"What am I gonna do?" From Don's experience, I knew that living with Nat wasn't going to be fun.

"Just hang in there, buddy. You can stay at my place anytime you want" He assured me.

Just before the month was up, Dad and Natalie had moved in with the pets and all their stuff. Don and I had to help. We had to get another storage unit for Natalie's furniture.

"Moving stinks!" I groaned, as I loaded a boxed marked 'dishes-don't drop' onto Don's SUV.

"Tell me about it!" Don commiserated as he grunted and loaded another box.

Finally, after two days of work, we finished emptying the house, and moving stuff to either the storage unit, or my place.

"Thanks again Charlie!" Natalie said.

"No problem."

As Nat went to her car, Dad warned me "Be careful with leaving the doors and windows opened. The cat could escape and Nat loves her like a daughter."

"Okay" I inwardly rolled my eyes.

A day or two after Nat and Dad moved in, the phone rang, and I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hi! Who is this?" a woman's voice asked. "I'm Nat's mother."

"Charlie, one of Alan's sons" I said.

"The mathematician!"

"Yeah."

"How are you? Can I speak to Nat?"

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Charlie called me from the living room to let me know that my mother was on the phone.

"Thanks!" I told him, as I picked it up. "Hey mom!"

"How are you sweetie?" she asked. "How are the new living arrangements?"

"fine. They're only temporary" I said.

"I heard prices over there are getting astronomical" she told me. "That'll definitely affect rents"

"Alan and I will manage" I assured her, but worried.

"That's good to hear" she said.

After I finished talking with my mother, I heard Charlie yell.

"Damn it! Shoo!"

Quickly, I ran to the living room.

"Your cat peed on the rug!" Charlie groaned. I sighed. Cats tended to urinate out of their litter boxes when presented with new environments. I had tried to get her adjusted by bringing her for little whiles over the last month.

"What's wrong baby?" I asked the cat. "Why aren't you using the litter box?"

"What do I do about the stain?" Charlie asked.

"Put baking soda on the affected area to neutralize it."

"Baking soda?"

"Cat urine is made mostly of ammonia" I said, then added "Sorry about that. The change of environment is hard on her.

Charlie followed my advice, and I comforted the cat. Poor thing! I kinda missed the place too.

-----------------------------------

I came home to find Charlie, Larry and Amita working on something in the living room one day the next week. There were two large chalkboards, and lots of paper.

"Hey guys! What are you up to?" I greeted them.

"Something for Don" Charlie said, as Alan came over to give me a hello kiss.

"I see."

After a while, Alan went to his book club, and I read, in the living room.

"Have you guys found a place?" Charlie asked.

"We looked for at a few places last weekend, but nothing worth considering.

"Oh..."

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I had looked warily at the cat when Natalie let out her out of Don's room. The cat had run down the stairs. Now it was inspecting Larry and Amita.

"Hello there!" Larry greeted it.

"How's the kitty!" Amita cooed.

Soon, Natalie was playing with her pet, using one of those annoying toys that made noise when you moved it. Rocko tried to chase the little fake rat, too, but the cat hissed at him for trying to get a piece of her action.

"Layla! No!" Natalie said firmly.

"I've got a wireless connection on my laptop" I told her. "In case you needed to check your email or something." Truthfully, I wanted her to get the idea and look at house listings.

"I already checked my email and online listings at my office." she informed me.

"Okay..." I put on my best smile and continued to work.

The next day, I begged my brother "Please go on that weekend getaway with Dad, Natalie, and Jane! I need the house to myself so I can work!" We were at his desk.

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"What are you saying?" I asked my brother in annoyance. "I gotta work too!"

"Her pets are a pain in the ass!" Charlie complained. "And so is she. She expects Dad to make the coffee, and I had to see her wearing one of his shirts!"

"This is only temporary, Charlie!"

"Like the relationship was supposed to be!" he snorted. "I thought that living together would break them up!"

"That's gonna take time buddy. Eventually Dad will realize that he's better off with someone his age" I reassured him.

"I hope so!" he pouted.

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Living in Charlie's house wasn't easy for me to get used to. I had to worry about him accidentally letting the cat out. Then, he was kind of nosy. Some days after moving in, I had bought this stuff called Honey dust from an adult store after hearing Vera, Ms. Too much information, talk about it. Discreetly, I had gift wrapped, put it in a target bag, and left it on the couch, when the phone rang right after I got home. I talked on the phone in the kitchen, and walked back to the living room only to find that Charlie was puzzling over the gift wrapped box of honey dust, even shaking it. What the hell? Who does he think he is, looking through my stuff?

"That's for your father" I said diplomatically.

"Oh..I uh..."

"Don't worry about it" I took it from him. Good thing I had used neutral gift wrap.

"His birthday isn't for a while" He said. "And so is Valentine's Day."

"Part of being in a relationship is giving a gift, just because" I said, and then asked in my most even voice "Why did you look through the bag?"

"It's just that uh...Dad usually does the shopping" he said.

"Did you think I had gay porn in the bag or something?" I joked.

"No!" He gave me a what the hell look.

"Please don't look through my stuff." I told him, and then went to the kitchen to seethe. I decided not to tell Alan because I didn't' want father and son to fight on my account. We really needed to find another place!

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"Last night, I found out that Natalie was giving Dad a gift." Charlie told me.

"What kinda gift?" I asked.

"It was gift wrapped, and it didn't make sense. His birthday and Valentine's day is not for a while" Charlie was puzzled.

"Maybe it was a 'just because' gift" I shrugged. I had given Kim a few of those.

"Or..it could have been an I'm sorry gift'" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"How did you find this gift?" I asked him with crossed arms, realizing that maybe he had been going through Natalie' stuff.

"I found it in a target bag" he admitted.

"What is with you man! Dad would have hit the roof if Natalie told him." I scolded my brother.

"I know..but what could be in that box?"

"Maybe we don't wanna know what's in the box?" I told, him. it could be something kinky. If so, ignorance would be most welcome.

"What?"

"She could have bought something from an adult store" I explained with an eye roll.

"Ugh!"

"Still wanna dwell on it buddy?"

"Uh..no"

"I thought so."

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Another week went by, and still no luck with finding a place.

After a terrible tiring day, which included putting not one, but two cats to sleep, I was surprised to see Pam, an old friend of mine from college. She was a premed so we both had a lot of the same classes and had kept in touch all these years. Now she was a plastic surgeon in New York.

"Hey!" I said and we hugged. "What's up?"

"Taking a vacation" she said "Thought we could have a girl's night out?"

"Sure!" I was sure that Alan wouldn't mind. Besides, I needed a break from Don and Charlie. "I'll just let my boyfriend know, and we can be on our way."

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"Set only three places at the table" I told Charlie from the kitchen.

"Nat's not coming for Dinner?" Don asked as he got himself a beer. "It's not one of her late days."

"A friend from college came to visit, and they're going to catch up over dinner" I explained.

"Okay"

"Put some napkins on the table.

------------------

"I worked with the most irritating architect today!" I told the boys as we ate. "He talked all about himself, and had this annoying nasal voice."

They both laughed.

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We had dinner at this Mexican restaurant called Arco Iris.

"How are things with Alan?" she dipped a chip in salsa. We kept in contact through letters and email.

"Great! Though we had to move in with his younger son"

"What?"

"My landlady died, and her kids decided to sell all of her properties. So, my lease wasn't renewed." I explained.

"And your one of your boyfriend's sons has a house?"

"Yeah." He bought it from his dad.

"He bought his childhood home?" she asked.

"Yep" I replied.

"He's the one who doesn't like you right?"

"The one who shows it more at least. I don't know how the older one feels" I shrugged. "He's an FBI agent, so he doesn't exactly wear his feelings on his sleeve."

Pam nodded.

"How's your practice?" I asked her. "Still going strong?"

"We just hired a new doctor, fresh from Harvard!" she beamed and drank more of her Margarita.

"That's great!" I said.

"How's your clinic?" she sipped some water.

"Wonderful! We don't plan on hiring another vet until one of us retires before the rest." I commented, after ordering a drink. "Anyway, how things with your boyfriend?"

"We broke up, but I really don't want to talk about it." She lamented.

"Okay..." I respected people's need for privacy.

After dinner, at her request, we went to a bar.

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It was eleven. Dad had gone up to bed, and Don was still with me, talking about this and that, as well as watching TV.

Suddenly, we heard the doorknob rattling.

"Someone's trying to get in!" Don quickly got his gun and put it in position.

"Get down!" he ordered me and went to one side of the door.

"Anybody home?" a familiar voice asked. Don breathed a sigh of relief, and opened the door.

Natalie asked with a slur. "Don't you have your own apartment?"

"You okay?" Don asked, and escorted her to the nearest couch.

"Pam and I went to this bar, where the drinks were divine! We had a little too many, so we both took cabs. She was nice enough to pay my fare." she explained. "Good thing it's Friday"

"Yeah" Don agreed and looked at me.

"I couldn't put the key in the keyhole" she said while awkwardly getting up. "Well, I gotta get to bed. It's late."

"Let me help you" Don offered.

"I'm fine." she insisted, and started on her way.

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I woke up on Saturday morning with a hangover, the size of a planet.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

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Natalie looked hung over as she joined Charlie and me for breakfast. She winced at the sunlight, and only wanted to eat toast. I sighed, but didn't say anything. It wasn't as if she overindulged in drink often.

"How was dinner with your friend?" I asked.

"Great! We talked, and caught up." she said. "Then went to this bar. I had a few too many"

"At least you enjoyed yourself!" I said. The bags under her eyes were deep."I take it that you just wanna stay home today?"

"Yeah, but maybe we can do something tonight?" she suggested with a half smile. "I'll definently feel better by then."

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"Would you like some Advil?" Alan offered. He was a Tylenol man himself, but always had Advil on hand for me.

"I already took some" I told him, happy that he had understood.

Before I knew it, Larry had joined us. He loved to come over quite often. Today, he wore a shirt with a portrait of Newton on it. I guess that I shouldn't find that surprising. I wondered if he wanted some more help on his multidimensional theory. Come to think of it, there were times, when I desperately wished for a chocolate dimension.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. Did I look that bad? Geeze.

"I spent the evening with an old college friend." I began to explain. "After dinner we went to a bar and had a little too much to drink."

"Would you like me to make you something, Larry?" Alan asked him, always the good host.

"That's not necessary. I already had some breakfast" Larry said.

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We had Natalie's friend over for dinner on Sunday night. Charlie was there, and Don showed up at the last minute.

"I come bearing gifts." She gave us a bottle of scotch. It was the good stuff.

"Thanks! Natalie said. "We could have some after dinner." Then, she introduced her to the boys, who were watching a game. "Pam, these are Alan's sons Charlie and Don"

"Pleasure!" Charlie said.

"Nice to meet you" Don commented.

"Same here" Pam responded.

During the meal, Pam said to Natalie "You're very lucky to find a man who can cook!"

"Don't I know it!" Natalie smiled at me.

When everyone finished their dinner, we all had a little scotch. Pam drank more of it than the rest of us, though Don came in second.

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"So..." Don asked my friend after a few shots. "Did Natalie always prefer older men?"

"She's mostly gone out with men her age." Pam told him, as Alan shot his eldest a very dirty look. "Though she dated this guy in his twenties in the mid nineties. He was a nurse" Damn!

"Really?" Don encouraged her. He tried to pour himself another shot, but Alan took away his shot glass.

"So..Pam what made you decide to become a plastic surgeon?" Alan tried to change the subject.

"I wanted to help people such as those who are disfigured by fires, or accidents"

"That's like one zillionth of a percent of your patients!" I scoffed. Part of me was annoyed at her. Helping people my foot! Her practiced catered to the rich, especially socialites. The reception area of her practice had leather furniture even!

"That number doesn't exist!" Charlie told me sanctimoniously.

"Really? Ya think?" I snorted.

"At least I'm not wasting my talents!" Pam put in a delayed reaction, while slamming her half full glass.

"Wasting?" I glared at her. Pam, back in our college days, had tried to get me to switch to premed, even getting me applications.

"Veterinarian medicine is a noble profession!" Alan put in his two cents firmly and gave her an angry look. He had a protective streak in him.

"You could be doing so much more as an MD!" Pam said.

"You could use your surgical skills to do transplants, but you don't because there's not a lot of money in it!" I retorted. She's got nerve!

"Ooh! Medical fight!" Charlie joked.

"Stay out of this!" Pam glared at Charlie.

"Don't talk to my son that way!" Alan angrily stood up. Don gave Pam a furious look a well ."Maybe you should go!"

"And I will!"

With that she called a cab and left the house, leaving the rest of us in awkward silence.

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N-My Beta is on vacation, so please let me know if you find anything Out Of Character.**

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"You can sleep here, Don." Dad told me. "You're not fit to drive"

He began to pick up the dishes, but Natalie said "Forget the dishes, babe! I'll do them tomorrow. They're not going anywhere! I'm going to bed" She went upstairs in a huff. I didn't blame her. Natalie and Pam exchanged some harsh words. Soon, Dad followed her.

Then,my brother and I talked.

"That was a good question!" Charlie, in his scotch induced haze, was half lying on the couch. He even giggled a bit.

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""You don't hold your liquor very well, do you?" my brother raised an eyebrow.

"What do... I hold my liquor very well!" I argued. What was he talking about? I felt fine.

"Well, Let's see what's on T.V." Don suggested.

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"This fight doesn't have the mean that the end of your friendship" Alan gently told me as I sat in the solarium. "You two were just venting out some long time resentments. Don and Charlie have gone through similar fights, but look how well they get along now!" He put an arm around me.

"I always hated it when she acted as if being a vet was a step lower than being an MD." I explained.

Alan kept me company as I sat in thought.

The following weekend, we again looked for a place. We found a possible place in Arcadia: a two bedroom house, though the rent was a bit steep. Since the owner mentioned having several dogs, I offered him free vet services in exchange for a lowered rent. He accepted, though he had all the dogs come to the clinic before having us sign the lease.

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Charlieand I were pulled into helping Natalie and Dad move into their new place in Arcadia.Two weeks later, they had a house warming with a barbeque. That was probably Dad's idea. He invited,a few of his old friends, their wives, me, Charlie, Larry, Amita, David, Colby, some of Natalie's friends, her business partners and David.

The house looked to be from the late fifties, early sixties.

Charlie sat next to me, with a beer in his hand.

"I wish Dad could've stayed" he joked softly.

"Can't have everything, buddy" I said.

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"How's the new place working out for ya, Natalie?" Megan asked me, as we sat on a couple of chairs in the back yard.

"Wonderfully" I said. "We got a discount when I offered free vet services to the owner's dogs"

"That's good." she smiled.

"Bartering! How clever!" Art's wife commented, as she joined us.

"How is the barbeque doing?" Megan inquired.

"Alan and Art are progressing fine, despite their arguing" the woman chuckled.

"That's good to hear!" I commented, then said "Excuse me, I gotta resume my hostess duties" I got up, and made sure that there was enough chips, dip, coke, beer, and other things outside.

"Alan sure knows to throw a good party!" Carl said as I put more beer in a large bucket of ice. "I should have him organize Alice's next birthday bash!"

"Thanks for giving me credit!" I teased.

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"Have a hotdog" I gave one to Rocko, who wolfed it down. The house warming was going wonderfully. Most of the people we had invited came, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

"When is the food gonna be ready dad?" Don asked me after a bit.

"Soon!" I promised him. "Just be patient, okay?"

"Yes Dad" Don sighed.

----------------------------

On Monday, Nat and I left the house at the same time. We were shocked and horrified to find a banner, 2 feet wide and five feet long displayed at the front of the house. It said. 'Dr.C. blows horses' in bright red letters and was accompanied by an obscene illustration of the message.

"Oh God!" Natalie said. "Let's get it down."

"It could have fingerprints!" I reminded her. "Call the cops, and I'll call Don"

"Okay" she agreed.

"Eppes?" Don answered when I called.

"It's me! Someone vandalized our house!"

"What?"

"Some asshole put up an obscene banner!" I explained worriedly. What if we were dealing with some psychopath?

"What did it say?"

" 'Dr. C. blows horses', and there is a picture" I told him.

"Did you guys call the cops?"

"Yeah, but I was hoping you could have a look?" I asked.

"Sure. I'll be right there, don't touch anything." Don promised.

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While mad, I tried to think of who would do this? In the past several months, most of my patient deaths had been because of euthanizing, and no caregivers of patients had threatened me in any way. While we waited, each of us called our respective offices.

Before I knew it, a car, with the obvious black and white markings, came to our house. A couple of policewoman got out of it, came up to us, introduced themselves and started their questions, when we gave them our names. We told them about finding it upon getting out of the house. Then one of them, a redhead asked

"Anyone you with a grudge against you?"

"No one that I know of" I told her.

"Are you going to take fingerprints off the banner?"

"All in good time, sir"

Just then, Don joined the party.

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Dad's call had worried me to no end. What if the perp decided to do something worse next time?

"Agent Eppes, FBI" I identified myself. "Alan Eppes is my father, so I was wondering if I could ride shotgun?"

"We'll keep you informed" one of them told me. That was their way of telling me no.

"Thanks. Here's my card." I gave them one. Then, I turned to Natalie "Any idea who could have done this?"

"No." She said, as I got a hunch.

"What about Mack?" I asked as she gave him a surprised look.

"Mack? I've told you he's harmless!" she argued. I found it too coincidental for him to just happen to be at the circus, just after having gone to Natalie's house, especially now. He gave me a bad feeling.

"May we ask who this Mack is?"

"A friend of a friend of Natalie's from Veterinary school." I replied. "He came to her previous home with a dead raccoon in a box, and just happened to be in the Circus of the Damned the same place she was. His full name is Mack Nelson"

"We'll check out that lead" the redheaded one promised. "Thank you for your time."

"For what it's worth, I don't' think Mack would do this!" Natalie insisted.

"Let's the cops do their job" I advised her, as she sighed. Then, I continued "Watch your backs."

"Why don't you follow Natalie to work" Dad suggested.

"Sure" I agreed to please Dad.

"It's not necessary!" Natalie protested.

"Humor me" Dad requested. After some more arguing, she reluctantly agreed.

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Three hours, after I got to the clinic, the receptionist called me.

"A Dr. Brinan would like to speak to you urgently"

"Let him in." I sighed. He was a friend of mine, and Mack's. Soon, the man was at my office.

"Why the hell have you got the cops on Mack?"

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

"My boyfriend's older son is the one you should blame! Not me!" I corrected him. "See, this guy is in the F.B.I.,and Mack's coming to my place with a dead racoon set off alarms"

"Yeah...Mack mentioned him. He ran into you and him at Circus of the Damned, right?"

"Yeah, and that set off more alarms" I explained. "His name is Don"

"So..this Don set the cops on him?"

"How did it go?"

"Mack was at his practice,when the cops came. He called me afterwards."

"Doesn't he have some B and Es on his record?" I asked.

"Yeah. Needless to say, it didn't help him any. Too boot, he spent last night alone"

"I'll do the best I can to to get the cops off Mack" I promised. No one deserved to be falsly accused.

"Thanks!" he said "Look, I'd love to chat more, but I've got a practice to run" With that, the man left.

I called Don on his cell phone. Alan had given it to me 'just in case'.

"Eppes" he answered, very business like.

"Hey! I was just wondering if you could get the cops to leave Mack alone? He didn't do it!"

"They just can't discount that possibility, given the circumstances"

"What evidence? All they have are your suspicions. Any witnesses? Don't they need to takeFingerprints?"

"None were found" he said.

"How do you know?

"I've been hanging around your place, talking to the people at the crime scene." he told me.

"I see. Thanks..." I said eventhough Don was overreacting.

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As we had dinner, Natalie commented

"I don't thinkMack did it"

"Don's been at this for a while, we need to trust his judgement" I told her and she sighed. "If Mackdidn't do it, that will come out sooner than you think"

"Fine..."

After dinner we played scrabble.

---------------

Days passed, and we didn't hear anything from the cops. Don told us that they had no hard proof of Mack's guilt when he and Charlie joined us for dinner on Friday.

"Are other suspects even being looked at?" I asked him.

"You and your partners have only fired one person right? and that was ten years ago" Don said. I had mentioned it a couple of days back.

"Yeah, for stealing some sedatives and selling them to junkies." I served myself more mashed potatoes. Alan had made them with ribeye.

"The cops have already questioned all of your present employees, and all of them have alibis for that night" Don continued.

"Not to mention my partners!" I complained.

"But they were ruled out!" Don argued.

"Yeah, but why question them in the first place? Did the cops think that my partners were trying to scare me into going to Miami?" It didnt make any sense.

"The important thing was that they were ruled out!" Don insisted.

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On Friday, Nat and I had dinner with Phillip and his wife, Anne at Spring Garden. They were leaving for Florida the next day to take a cruise.

"Any luck with finding the culprit?" Anne asked.

"No" I shook my head. The fact that no one had been arrested greatly bothered me and Nat.

"Sorry to hear that" Phil remarked, then added "It could have been some youngneighborhood thug"

"None of our immediate neighbors heard or saw anything" I said.

"That's a shame!" Anne commented.

Eventually, the topic changed to cruises in general.

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"I went on my first cruise when I was a teen. It was just me and my parents. The food was divine!" I shared. As an adult, I had gone with boyfriends, but I didn't think I should talk about that.

"We went on our first cruise,when Brittany was five. She stayed with my mother during the trip." Phil said.

"It was essentially a second honeymoon" Anne remembered with a smile.

Just then, our food came,and we began to eat.

-----------------------------------

On Tuesday, one of my regulars, Peter, who had a siamese, told me.

"There's this jackass on my block exploiting his cat"

"How?" I asked.

"He claims that it's psychic" Petersaid. "I tried to call the humane society, but the special investigatorscouldn't find anything to charge him with because the cat looked fine. Since he asks for 'donations', instead of charging, they couldn't bring in the regular cops. Maybe you could take a look?Being a vet, you might be able to see something they missed."

"Definently." I assured him.

"Great! Here's the address"

After work I went to the man's house. A kindly woman in her eighties answered the door. A donation jar stood near it.

"Welcome! I'll let Mark know that you are here." She said, and with a motion of her hand, invited me to sit down, which I did. Soon, a bald man in his forties came in, followed by a tabby. The cat inspected me, then stepped back. The cat was borderline thin. I could tell it was very well trained and intelligent by how it looked at me. The eyes were focused, and sharp.

"How can I help you?" he asked me.

"My husband left me and my five children. The private investigatorI hired hasn't been able to even get close to finding him. That bastard owes me child support!" I said in my sadest voice. "I heard about your extraordinary cat, and hoped it could help?"

"Finding people is one of Mimi's specialties!" Mark said in that assuring voice used by doctors."How long has your husband been missing?"

"A few days" I said.

"I'll be right back." Mark excused himself and came back with a map of the world, that was two feet long by two feet wide. He spread it out on the floor.

"Where is her husband, girl?" the man asked the feline. Mimi went to the east coast, and stared at the map for a minute or two. If nothing else, Mark knew how to train cats. Why couldn't he trainMimi to do something other than help him exploit people? Soon, the cat moved to the west coast, and eventually put a paw on Oregon.

"Oregon?" I emphasized my doubt, and sure enough the cat moved. It either sense my doubt or got some signal from Mark.

"Looks like your husband maybe passed by Oregon" Mark said. Yeah sure.

The cat went south and put its paw on what would be the bay area.

"That makes more sense!" I said. "He's got a brother up there."

With that, I thanked the man, put some money for show, and went back home.

Alan welcomed me home with a kiss.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"The cat looks fine!" I said. "But it's still being exploited, and folks are being taken advantage of!"

"What did you do?"

"I pretended that I was a woman whose husband left her without leaving a trace. The man spread out a map, and the cat put its paw on the bay area" I explained. "I wasn't charged, but there was a donation jar. However, this cat is still being exploited, and this guy is taking advantage of people!"

"Maybe Don could help?" He offered.

"Could you convince him?" I hoped.

"I'm his father, of course!"

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Dad called me on Wednesday morning with a request.

"Could you look into something for me?"

"Sure Dad!"

"Natalie found out thatthis man wasdefrauding people by claiming that his cat was psychic. Natalie went to see this so-call feline psychic, pretending to be a woman whose husband left her, and the cat pointed to the bay area on a large map.

"Wait...wait...she went undercover?" this annoyed me. I hated it when civilians played slueth.

"As a vet, Nat was able to see how the cat was doing." Dad tried to justify it.

"Does she do this often?"

"Sometimes why?"

"She needs to be careful."

"I see to that!" Dad assured me. "Are you going to look into it?"

"It's a local police matter" I told him. "Unless they call us"

"Don! That man is exploiting people!" Dad got annoyed with me.

"Fine, I'll go and check it out" I reluctantly agreed. It seemed to mean a lot to Dad.

"Good! Let us know how it goes."

Dad gave me the address andwe hung up.

Just before leaving the office, I got a call: the cops had a lead on the vandalism.

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

"A friend of mine stopped a teenage male fora speed violation, and found a can of red spray paint. The kid lives near Dr. Core.We're holding him now.He's got a record for vandalism"

"That's great!

"The only problem is that he's lawyered up."

"What's his name?" I sighed.

"Randy Lane" she said.

"I'll see if Natalie has heard that name." I promised, then added" Thank you for calling me."

So, I called Natalie at the office. Dad had given me that number. A receptionist answered, and she transfered me to Natalie.

"They're questioning someone!" I told her. "by the name of Randy Lane. Sound familiar?"

"no..." she answered after thinking for a minute or two. "Thanks for the update!"

"Dad told me about the psychic cat. I'm looking into it after work"

"Thank you!"

"No problem."

We did some small talk, then the conversation ended.

"Were you talking with Natalie?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah. The cops found a suspect on the obscene banner, so I called to tell her, and I gotta check out a place for her"

"What kind of place?"

"Some guy claims that his pet is a psychic"

"The things people will do for money" Charlie shook his head.

"Natalie believes it's a con, and hopes that I can do something about it." I explained.

"Like arrest him for fraud?" he suggested.

"Like I said, I need to check it out."

After work, I went to the house and gingerly knocked on the door. An older woman in her eighties, wearing a blue jogging outfit opened the door.

"I'm with the F.B.I" I showed my badge. "I was told that there was a psychic cat here?"

"Would you like help with a case?" the woman offered happily,then yelled. ."Mark! A Fed is here to see you!"Did she actually believe this? Natalie's observation showed that this was all a fake

"Hi!" he seemed a little nervous. "What can I do for ya?"

" I'm here to make sure that people aren't being taken advantage of" I told him.

"I don't charge for Mimi's help!" he said, pointing to the donation jar. "People give what they feel is appropriate; I use it to buy mimi, toys, food, and other stuff."

"Like that rolex on your wrist?" I asked. "Or the brand new T.V?"

"I'm a freelance writer." he told me.

"May I see the cat?"

"Mimi?" he called it.

Soon, a tabby arrived, sniffed me, and sat on its haunches.

"Could I ask for a demo?"

"Uh...sure..."

"I'd like to find a Fred. McFerguson." It was the name of a fugitive.

"Let me get the map" he said.

Suddenly, my cell phone rang. I answer it. Turns out that I'm needed at work for matters more urgent than a psychic cat.

"Never mind! I gotta go." I told him, sensing the relief. Soon, I was on my way back to work, but I would return and see about the psychic cat.

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Don called me and Alan at home to tell us,that while he had gone to see about the Psychic cat, the visit was cut short by a call from work. While disapointed, I told him that I understood, which was true. Alan and I played scrabble after dinner, and talked.

"I hope that Don can do something about that con man!" I said, while waiting for Alan to make his move.

"He will, don't worry!" Alan assured me. Soon enough, he put in a word that got him thirty points. Damn it!

Lamely, I got rid of some of my pieces, and got new ones, in a vain attempt to get some consonents. During my next turn, I put in a fifteen point word.

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Some days passed before I could check out the psychic cat again; I was in for a big surprise.

"Mimi's been stolen!" the owner told me. "Last night"

"Really?" I raised my eyebrow in doubt.

"Look around the house if you want!"

"I did, and there wasn't a sign of a cat. My gut told me that it had been stolen by Natalie. Why? It wasn't my fault that I was busy. Would it have killed her to be patient?As soon as I could, I said goodbye to the owner and left the house.

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I returned from lunch to find Don sitting in a half full waiting room. He didn't look very happy.

"We need to talk" he told me, and added. "It's not about Dad"

"Let's go to my office" I said, and we did.

"Where is the cat?"

"What?"

"I went back to where the pyschic cat was, and it turns outi t was stolen"

"Stolen? Are you sure?" I asked suspiciously.

"I looked."

"Cats are very good at hiding" I told him. "Maybe he got gave it to a friend, fearing that you would come back. Your badge scared the bejeezus out of him, probably."

"Again, where is the cat?"

"You think I stole the cat?" I looked at him in disbelief.

"Did you?"

"No!"

"Natalie, please don't do this. No animal is worth going to jail !"

"For the last time! I did not steal that cat!" I insisted. It was the truth.

From the look in his eyes, I could tell that Don didn't believe me. This was going to be a very long afternoon.

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

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"How the hell would I know how to break into someone's house?" Natalie glared at me.

"Maybe you were involved in some animal rights group that liked to 'liberate' animals." I said. I could picture a younger Natalie doing that. She, if nothing else, was very passionate about animals.

"Like lab rats?" she retorted.

"Not necessarily." I said.

"Whenever I see an animal being abused, I go through the proper channels!" she insisted.

"Like playing undercover cop?" I retorted. Proper channels my ass!

"Aside from going undercover, I don't tread on the territory of the authorities."

"Where is the cat?" I demanded.

"Why are you accusing me?

"You have motive, and a possible means" I looked her square in the eye. The two of us, were in front of her desk.

"Come on! Have you even bothered to ask me where I was last night?" she paced a bit.

"I know you weren't with Dad" I was at their house last evening.

"I was at a friend's house" Natalie told me, as I sat on a corner of her desk. "She'll confirm it!"

"Of course she would" I rolled my eyes.

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What was with him? I thought investigators were supposed to come up with a conclusion based on the evidence!

"I can't believe this! I ask for your help, and you end up accusing me of breaking into someone's house and stealing! Is that part of the job? Being cynical and thinking the worst of people?"

"At least I don't play vet!" he snapped, referring to my undercover work.

"How else was I supposed to know how the cat was doing?" I charged.

"Where is it?" he asked again.

"If it were up to me, it would be at your apartment, scratching up the furniture!" I was just about ready to take the gloves off.

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Suddenly, a man with red and white hair stormed in, wearing a white coat. He, probably, was one of Natalie's business partners.

"Could you two keep it down? You're scaring my patient!" he folded his arms.

"Carl, he's accusing me of stealing the psychic cat!" Natalie told him.

"You're kidding!" The man looked shocked.

"I wish I were"

Carl turned to me. "You're Don, right? The F.B.I agent?"

"Yeah."

"Why are you accusing her of stealing the cat?"

"This conversation is between me and her" I told him, not in the mood for explaining things to third parties.

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"Maybe you'd like to search the clinic!" I snapped.

"I'd love to!"

"Let me show you where we keep our overnight guests" I angrily led him to where they were. We only had a few cats and dogs, most of who were to be spaded or neutered.

"Help yourself!" I stomped off, and tended to my next appointment.

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I quickly examined each cage, but I didn't see the so called psychic cat. Where could it be? Someone in teddy bear scrubs came in to fetch one of the feline 'guests' who mewed very loud.

"Can I help you sir?" she asked. "This area is for authorized personnel only.

"I'm a guest of Dr. Core's. You can talk to her" I explained.

"Don't worry about, it, Carla" Natalie came in. Then, she cooed at the cat. "Don't cry baby, it'll be over soon..."

When Carla left, Natalie gave me an annoyed look. "Find anything?"

"No..."

"Let's make a deal..."

"What kind of deal?" I asked, hoping it had to do with her confessing.

"Let's not mention this disagreement to your dad." she said.

"Sure." I didn't want to upset Dad. She only agreed to it because she knew that in a hitch, Dad would side with me.

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I had made the agreement because I didn't want to be a cause for Father/son friction and knew how angry Alan would get with Don if he found out about the accusations.

"So...where would I keep the stolen cat?" I asked, tongue in cheek.

"You tell me" he shrugged.

"What's it gonna take to convince you?"

Before he could say some smartass remark, his cell phone rang. He talked on it for a bit.

"I gotta go" the told me, but added as a warning "But we're not done"

My next patient was a black cat. It was its first time at our clinic.

"Hi! I'm Dr. Core!" I introduced myself in one of the rooms, while quickly scanning the form that was filled out. "What brings you here today?"

"I think my cat is an alien" the caregiver, a woman said. I inwardly groaned. What was it with crazy people and cats?

"What makes you say that?"

"It can open and close doors with its mind"

"I see..."

"And she scares the hell of all my other pets, even my Pit Bull" She said. "I would like you to examine her, see if she is really a cat."

"Uh..sure" I figured I might as well give the cat a full checkup.

"And could you take X-rays?" she requested.

"I don't like to give X-rays gratuitously, Ms. Pang." I said. "Given the exposure to radiation."

This of course, annoyed her. We argued for a bit, and she left, with her cat, in a huff. With a sigh, I went to the next patient.

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Natalie seemed to be in a bad mood when she got home. I could tell by the look on her face.

"Hard day?" I asked her as we kiss.

"Yeah...I had a few annoying clients, one of whom insisted that her cat was an alien. She even wanted me to take X-rays!" Nat sat on the couch with a sigh of relief. "How was your day?"

"Busy" I told her, as she gave some attention to the pets.

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I arrived at my apartment around midnight. It had been a long day, and I was glad to be home. While watching T.V to wind down, I tried to think of where Natalie would hide the cat. The only reason I gave a damn was because of Dad. It would upset him to see Nat in jail for B and E, not to mention stealing. Plus, he'd spend his hard earned money putting up her bail, and maybe even getting a lawyer if need be. Ironically, it was a good thing that Nat had gone undercover while visiting that psychic cat. Its owner didn't suspect her at all.

This really sucked. I have enough to do without trying to worry about recovering a stupid cat. Millions of woman in Southern California, and Dad had to date a nut.

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

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To my annoyance, Don, came over on Friday for dinner. As Alan cooked he took me aside.

"Did you mention to Dad that the cat was stolen?"

"Yeah I did." Alan had found out from me during dinner the evening after I had my fight with Don. I felt bad about lying about the agent not having any idea who stole the cat, but it was better than the alternative.

"Okay" He rejoined Charlie on the couch. I went to assist Alan in the kitchen. Charlie had probably, by how he had greeted me, found out about Don's suspicions, and of course agreed. So now I had to deal with peeved off guests.

"Need help babe?" I offered. Chopping onions was better than dealing with those two, at this point.

"Go watch T.V with the boys" he told me with a smile.

"Fine..." I said. Arguing would raise his spidey senses.

I sat on the other side of the living room.

"What's for dinner?" Charlie asked sullenly.

"A lamb I stole from a farmer" I told him, tongue in cheek.

"Don't start with us!" Don glared at me, as did Charlie.

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"You guys should realize that if I stole every pet, whose caregiver looked shady, this house would be overrun with animals!" Natalie told me and Don. She had nerve!

"You probably know people as passionate as you are about animals" Don responded, as he checked to see if Dad was leaving the kitchen.

"You found someone to adopt the cat" I said.

"Do you guys realize how hard it is to get grown pets adopted?" Natalie gave us dirty looks. "Millions of dog and cats are put to sleep in pounds in this country because of over breeding and people preferring kittens and puppies! Besides, I do not go around stealing animals!"

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Natalie got up in annoyance and returned to the kitchen. When she was out of earshot, Charlie said.

"We should tell Dad!"

"Charlie, No! It'll upset him"

"Don, he needs to know just how nutty she really is!" Charlie said.

"I don't have any hard evidence that she did it" I reminded him. "Besides, her and I made an agreement."

"What if she does something elsejust as crazy or worse, and Dad gets in legal trouble because of it?" Charlie insisted. "Dad deserves a well adjusted woman in his life!"

"Charlie...let me handle this"

"He needs us to show him what a mistake the relationship is! Living with her is not having the effect you promised!"

"Let's worry about finding the cat" I reminded him, but he did have a point! Why hadn't they broken up! The generational gap alone should have made living together difficult.

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I could feel the tension as Nat, Charlie, Don and had dinner. I found myself doing most of the talking. Had they fought in the living room before dinner? Maybe Nat was getting impatient with Don's progress.

After the boys left, I remarked. "I hope you're not getting too impatient about Don's progress on the psychic cat case."

"I just hope to have more luck than we did with that kid!" Nat commented. The police could only get him a ticket for the traffic violation.

"Hopefully, the cat was stolen by a well meaning person" I consoled her.

"Hopefully" she repeated and shook her head.

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I felt guilty about not telling Alan why I was upset. Not only was his oldest son accusing me, but now the real culprit wouldn't be found because of that. With an inward sigh, I put on my pajamas, made tea for the two of us, and read in the living room.

The next morning, after a nine o'clock appointment, the receptionist called to say that a 'Dr. Charles Eppes' wanted to see me. With a groan, I told her

"Let him in."

Soon, he, wearing brown jacket over a shirt with geometric designs, came in, and sat down as if he owned the place.

"I'm here to talk to you about the cat." he told me. " It is not worth the risk of jail, and possible expenses"

"I didn't take it!" I told him, and feltoffended by how little he valued cats.

"Who else would want to?"

"Someone jealous about the money being made from the con? A neighbor? If Don hadn't made this stupid assumption about me, and actually investigated the house for forced entry..."

"Don't put this on him!" he snapped.

"What is with you two?" I demanded, tired of the accusations.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing!" he said. "I agree that it's wrong to con people, but one can't go around taking the law into their own hands!"

I started to get angry again."I'm going to my next appointment. You can see yourself out." In a huff, I left my office, but Charlie just followed me.

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"We're not done discussing this!" I told her.

"I've already had this stupid argument with your brother!" she retorted. "Nothing I say is gonna convince you!"

"What argument?" Dad asked right behind me.

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Carl had let me through so that I could see Natalie. He had just come back from lunch.

"We were disagreeing on where to have a surprise party for you babe" Natalie told me.

"My birthday isn't for Months!" I pointed out, not believing her. "What's going on?"

"Natalie stole that stupid cat!" Charlie blurted out.

"What?" I was getting angry.

"Don's been trying to get Natalie to tell him where it is." my younger son continued.

"You both think that Natalie would break into someone's house and steal?" I started to get angrier.

"I think that uhhhhhhhhh...Natalie really cares about the welfare of animals" Charlie replied, and I took it as a yes.

"Don't get mad, babe, it's just that they didn't find anyone with a clear motive, and 'liberating animals is not unheard of" Natalie tried to calm me down.

"Call your brother" I ordered Charlie. "Have him come to Natalie's office. We're gonna have a little talk."

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

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Dad went to Natalie's office in a huff, and the twit followed him. Gingerly, I called Don.

"Eppes?" he answered.

"Hey Don!" I greeted him, hating what I had to say next. He was going to be very angry.

"Hey Buddy! What's up?"

"Dad...uh..wants to talk to you, as soon as uh..possible."

"He does?" Don sounded suspicious.

"At Natalie's office"

"You told him didn't you?" he asked with contained anger.

"He overheard me and Natalie fighting, and I ...kinda let it slip" I confessed to my brother.

"You went to her office? Why? I told you I was gonna take care of it!"

"I was hoping to talk sense into her!" I said, remembering now that this was as useful as trying to figure out the physics of fairy flight.

"Tell Dad, I'll be there as soon as I can" Don ordered and hung up.

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I gave Megan some instructions, and told her I'd be back as soon as I could. What was with Charlie? Thanks to him the situation has escalated because Dad is now involved. Damn it!

Eventually, I arrived at the clinic, and was let into Natalie's office. She sat at her desk, while Charlie and Dad sat on the two visitor's chairs. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"Care to explain why you accused Natalie of stealing?" Dad asked. This was a very loaded question.

"Don was just following the evidence!" Charlie jumped to my defense.

"Really" Dad crossed his arms and turned to me. "Did you examine the house for forced entry? Or question the cat's owner?"

"Of course he did!" Charlie lied on my behalf. Could he please shut up now?

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Even when we were kids, I always hated to see Don get in trouble.

"Did you now?" Dad asked Don. He didn't believe it.

"Didn't you say something about the back door being uh...unsecure?"I asked Don lamely. Dad gave us his 'Quit the bullshit' face.

"Dad...look..."Don, by the look of his eyes, told me to shut up.

"I can't believe this!" Dad began angrily. I could feel a lecture coming on.

"Instead of fighting, why don't we..." Natalie began.

"Haven't you done enough!" I yelled without thinking. We were having this stupid fight because of her stealing that cat! I wouldn't have gone to her office, and there would be nothing for Dad to find out.

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"Don't talk to her that way!" Dad furiously yelled at Charlie.

"Maybe the three of us should talk privately" I suggested, hating that Dad was yelling at my brother over that woman!

"Perhaps that would be best" Natalie got up. Guess she couldn't take the heat.

"We'll go somewhere else to talk" Dad told her gently. 'The walls here are thin, and you've got patients to see."

"We could go to my SUV?"I suggested.

Dad and Charlie both agreed and we went. Dad sat with me in the front, while Charlie went to the back.

"All right boys, what the hell is the matter with you!" Dad got to the point. "I thought you guys were starting to like Natalie"

"Charlie and I have made every effort, Dad" I began, figuring that lying was pointless at this juncture "to get along with her, and see her uh..good qualities, but it's not easy. It's not just the age thing."

"It's the cat stealing thing" Dad snorted.

"Dad, Natalie could have been an animal activist when she was younger" I told him, remembering Dad's activism days.

"Guilt by association, huh?"

"She's very passionate about animals!" Charlie piped up.

"And she likes to take things into her own hands!" I told Dad. "Like going undercover!"

"She's like the Dr. Sloan of vets!" my brother put his two cents in. He was familiar with the show because mom used to love it.

"Something tells me it's not just the allegations of cat stealing that bother you" Dad crossed his arms again. "What do you have against her?"

"Dad, look, we know that she makes you happy, and we respect that...but..."

"She's ...annoying" Charlie blurted out. "And Wrong for you!

"Boys, both of you have made decisions that I wasn't too happy about" Dad began. "Like when Don joined the F.B.I or Charlie decided to start going into crime scenes. However, I've supported you in every way I could, because I trusted your judgments.. Please show me the same consideration"

"But you had your objections, and you voiced them very strongly!" I pointed out.

"Charlie's told me his objections, what are yours?"

"It's not just the age thing Dad" I began. . "Look, I know that mom wanted you to move on and see other people, but do you really think Natalie is what she had in mind? A woman young enough to be my and Charlie's sister, who prefers animals to people, and is antisocial?"

"Antisocial?"

"Dad, she hates big gatherings. I've seen how uncomfortable they make her." I told him, worried that she might cause dad to isolate himself. "We all know how outgoing you are, dad!"

"Natalie's just a little reserved" Dad said as a justification.

"I just worry that she'll make you isolate yourself from your friends and family!"

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"Natalie has never told me not to invite you two over!" I told them with annoyance. Isolate? What was Don talking about? "As far as she is concerned, you are welcome any time."

"Would you listen to her, if she didn't want us over?" Don asked, as he adjusted his seat.

"That would be a deal breaker for me!" I snapped, angry that my son would doubt my love and devotion. "But that's not the case"

"She knows better than to object to Charlie and me visiting, but what about other people? Natalie didn't seem very happy at that party you had for us, and the team." Don asked to my surprise. I thought she had done a pretty good job at hiding how angry she was that day.

"Nat had a hard day at work."

". And remember the housewarming? She kinda ...hid"

"Hid?"

"I only saw her when she was doing host related stuff, or talking to her friends. She didn't mingle like you did, like a host should."

"Like you're such an expert!" I rolled my eyes. Sure Nat spent most of the time talking to her friends, or Larry, but she was a very attentive hostess by making sure all the guests were happy and had everything they needed.

"We've already had this argument."Charlie whined.

"Look, boys, she's here for the long term."I told them firmly. "Get used to it"

"Dad! come on! Are you even listening to us?" Don groaned. "You like talking at me"

"I'm not coming to your place anymore!" Charlie announced "it's not worth putting up with Natalie to see you "Why?" I demanded.

"Nat doesn't want us there, and you act differently with her around" With that, Charlie left the car.

"Charlie! Come back here!" I ordered him, but he just slammed the car door. I couldn't believe my sons were acting like this.

"I'll talk to him" Don promised.

"I expect at least you to continue to visit me" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes I will, Dad."

"And you'll apologize to Nat"

"That I won't do"

"What?"

"She's the best suspect" Don stood his ground.

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"How could you say that?" Dad demanded. We argued a little more, and he left the car in a strong huff, claiming to have work. With a sigh, I went back to the office. On the way, I called Charlie to see how he was.

Later, around seven Natalie came to see at my desk.

"I think I know who stole the cat, and we need to talk about your Dad."

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

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"Let's talk about the cat first" Don got into avoidance mode, just as his father had earlier in the clinic when I had tried to ask him about what happened. "Who do you think stole it?"

"The guy who told me about it in the first place." I told him. "He seemed peeved that I couldn't really do much about it, and after all three of you left, a bounty hunter came by looking for him. Turns out he got arrested for possessing pot, was out on bail, but had missed his court date. Here's his address."

"You're giving me his address?" Don gave me a suspicious look.

"Vets aren't bound by any confidentiality protocols" I said. "The bounty hunter mentioned something about a wife."

I was still mad at Don for upsetting his Dad, but that cat needed to be seen to,and unlike the heroines of mystery novels, I lacked a friend in the police department. Plus, I needed to prove that I was innocent to get this stupid mess cleared up.

"I'll look into when I can." he neatly put it in a folder on his desk.

"Next item of the agenda" I began. "What did you tell your father?"

"I've got work to do" he tried to give me the brush off.

"That can wait." I symbolically pushed some files to the side.

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Damn it! I was already in enough trouble with Dad! I didn't want to deal with her right now.

"We had a FAMILY talk" I emphasized the word family to make a point.

"You and Charlie really upset him, so it is my business!" she gave me a dirty look.

"What part of Family talk don't you understand?" Man she sucked at taking a hint. Maybe I should growl or something to get the point across.

"If it concerns Alan, if concerns me!" she insisted

"If Dad doesn't wanna talk about it, you should respect that."

"You hurt your father and you're talking to me about respect?"

"You're the one who's hurting him! By splitting this family apart!" I yelled having lost my patience.

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"You and Charlie are the ones having the hissy fit and accusing me of stealing!" I retorted angrily. I had never asked Alan to choose between me and his kids. It wasn't my fault that Alan was mad at them. What man wouldn't be pissed off at someone accusing his significant other of a crime? "And wouldn't you be mad if someone accused Jane of stealing?"

"Leave her out of this!" Don spat, then added "Has it occurred to you that maybe Dad is only with you because of your age?"

"You...Bastard!" How dare he? Alan wasn't one of those men who just wanted a trophy girl friend. How could he think so little of his dad?. "You think that your father is that shallow?"

"Don't flatter yourself! Do you really think he'd put up with your buill shit if you were his age?"

"You fall very far from the tree, Donald" I seethed. "Hell, you can't even see it!"

"Calm down you two!" Megan butt in. "What's going on?"

"You boss is being a bastard" I told her. "He and Charlie have accused me stealing"

"What?" She looked puzzled.

"This is a private matter, Megan" Don told her with a hard face.

"You've got a few spectators" She told him. We both looked, but of course, they had either left or were pretending to be oh so hard at work. "Why don't you two take this to the conference room?"

We did so and the argument continued.

"Don't call me Donald!" Don snarled, when he closed the door. "That's not even my name!"

"Fine! Whatever!"

His face was getting redder and redder. The eyes and mouth were hardened, while his forehead wrinkled. "Know what? You only say that I fall far from the tree because I don't give you the royal treatment like my Dad does! He cooks for you, takes care of your pets, spoils you, all for what? So you can give him grief with your stupid shenanigans?"

"I did not steal the cat!"

"You could get jail time for breaking an entering!"

"I don't know how to do that!" I growled "You just want it to be true!"

Suddenly, the door knocked. With a sigh, Don said

"I'll be done in a minute!"

I heard Jane's voice say, "I think you should let me in now!"

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

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With a groan,I let Jane in.

"Megan told me that you two were fighting" she commented.

"He's accusing me of stealing a cat!" Natalie whined. "And upset his father!"

"Does your father know about the accusations?" Jane asked me.

"Yeah he does, and is not a very happy camper" Natalie said drolly.

"I'm sure..." Jane commented.

"I mean,Don didn't bother to do a through investigation!" Nat continued. "He just assumed the worst! Then, he and Charlie hurt his father!"

"What are you saying?" I snapped at her. She's the one hurting Dad.

"Why don't you two calm down?." Jane requested. "Fighting isn't going to solve anything."

"I've got work to do anyway" I started to leave.

"We're not done!" Natalie argued.

"Maybe the two of you need some distance before talking to each other again" Jane backed me up, and put herself between us.

Natalie protested some more, but left at the end, with a warning

"This isn't over!"

As soon as Natalie left, Jane andI had a talk.

""How did your father find out about your suspicions?" she asked

"Charlie let it slip"

"Did the three of you fight?" she asked.

"Yeah. All because of her!" I grumbled, as sheput a hand on my shoulder.

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Damn! He made me mad! Where did he get off insulting his Dad, then accusing me of being the hurtful one!

I came home to an empty house as Alan had his bookclub that night. I feed my pets, and took each of them for a little walk. A part of me felt guilty for being a reason that the three men were fighting. Another part argued that the boys are the ones making the accusations.

Alan came home around nine.

"How was the book club meeting?" I asked when we kissed.

"Fine..." he mumbled and sat down. I joined him. 'Fine' was his lame attempt to hid how upset he was.

"Did someone insist aliens wrote the book?" I teased, trying to get him to open up.. "You don't seem enthustiastic. Or maybe they claimed to be talking to the author's ghost?"

"The discussion was fine!" he insisted.

"Did someone bring healthy snacks?" I sat closer to him on the couch.

"No..."

"Any difficult clients wanting to build an edifice made of chocolate?"

"Is this your subtle way of trying to get me to tell you about what the boys and I talked about?" he asked with annoyance.

I joked "There goes my hopes of being a world famous therapist!"

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I know that Natalie meant well, but I didn't want to talk about my conversation with the boys in the car.

So, I told her"I'm going to go shower" Then, I got up. She sighed and turned on the television.

Later on, in bed, I thought about things. Was were they acting like this? How could they say such terrible things?Sure Nat had her odd little quirks but who didn't? Was she perfect? No. As she later slept at my side, I realize that I can't imagine life without her.I kissedNatalie's head and went to sleep

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

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The next morning I worked as usual. Around noon,I went to Alan's office with some Chinese lunch. Don was there. He had already gotten lunch for his Dad. Looks like he was doing damage control.

"Hello Natalie" Don said evenly.

"Hey Don!" I answered. He sat around his father's desk eating a steak sandwhich.

"I guess you're not gonna be needing lunch" I said lamely to Alan.

"I'll just put it in the mini fridge Stan got,and eat it tommorow" Alan suggested

"Okay" I agreed.

"Is it busy at the clinic?" Don asked

"Not really" I told him, while taking out my own lunch. You could cut the tension and strain with a knife.

"Don was just telling me that he was going to check out the lead you gave him" Alan said.

"Thanks!" I wasn't fooled. Don did this to appease his dad.

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Why did Natalie have to come? Oh well.Looks she decided to do something about her guilt by buying Dad lunch. Man, I am glad I got here first!

"I got this new dish that they added to the menu" Natalie told Dad, then offered"Wanna tryit, babe?"

"Sure" Dad tasted it,and nodded "It's good"

"Why don't you come with me to check it out the lead?" I offered.

"Well, I could join you after my last appointment of the day" Natalie looked puzzled.

"See, I told you that Don would help" Dad told her.

"I'll pick you up from your place" I said.

"Sure. Thanks" she told me.

Soon, I had to go. After work as promised, she was waiting for me at the yard, wearnig jeans and her desperate housecats shirt.

"So does this thing fit in your parking space?" Natalie teased when she got into my SUV.

"Fits fine" I said as she put on her seat belt.Then, I continued. "I was thinking we could talk to the guy's wife. Promise her that you won't tell the cops."

"You've changed your mind?"

"I'm willing to look into other possibilities,and I promised Dad" I told her.

The drive there was silent. We arrived, got out of the car and knocked a few times, but no one answered. Annoyed, we returned to the car.

"Maybe she's still at work?" Natalie shrugged.

"We can wait for a while" I said.

"Okay."

After an hour, Nat suggested

"We could try tommorow?"

"Let's wait a while longer" I said. Years at the F.B.I had taught me the advantage of waiting just a little longer.

"The wife's a P.I. She's probably following some cheating heart as we speak."

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After waiting some more, Don took me home.

"Why don't you come over?" I offered,knowing that it would please Alan to have him over.

"You mean it?" he asked.

"Don't let our issues interfere with spending time with your Dad" I reminded him. "Besides, you must be hungry.

"That's not what I asked." Don gave me a look "But I'll go, if only for his sake."

Alan beamed from the recliner when he saw Don came through the door with me.

"How did it go?"

"Wife wasn't home" Don said.

"And you were waiting for her" Alan asked,then got up.. "That's too bad. Let me warm up dinner for the two of you"

"I'll do it babe. Sit down" I said. "Spend time with Don. All I ask is that one of you unfold the T.V tables."

I went to the kitchen, and was glad to see that Alan had made elbow marcaroni with ground beef. I served some on two plates, and warmed each of them up in the microwave. Then, I took them to the living room, along with a couple of forks.

"Thanks!" Don said and put his food on the mini table.

"Wanna beer?" I offered.

"Sure, but I'll get it" Don got up.

"I'm so glad to see you and Don getting along better" Alan told me softly. "So, is the misunderstanding between you is resolved?"

"I'm not a suspect" I said. That part was true. I didn't want to mention the huge argumentDon and I had at his office.

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Soon,I came back with a bottle of beer, and tasted the food.

I told Dad"This is good! Natalie's lucky that you can cook"

"Are you two going back tomorrow?"

"Yeah"I agreed with a full mouth.

The next day, I went to talk to Charlie at his office.

"Hey Buddy!" I greeted him, when I came in. He seemed to be grading tests.

"Hey..."

"You should visit Dad" I advised.

"He should visit me!" Charlie's eyes were still on his work.

"No one is worth refusing to see Dad!" I reminded him. "He's all we've got besides each other!"

" I know.." he said softly,finally looking up. "That's why I'm mad at him, for not putting family first! He's always lecturing about that! Now he spends less time with us,and sides with her over his own sons!"

"Charlie..."

"I meant what I said! If Dad wants to see me, he'll have to make the effort and come alone to my house!" Charlie said with a huff and started to write more furiously.

I sighed. "You're just hurting Dad."

"Well he's hurting me!" Charlie snapped, got up, and said. "I gotta get to my next class." Quickly, he got his shoulder bag, and left his office. With a sigh, I did the same, and went back to the office.

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

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The wife was there the next day.

"Dr Core?" she looked surprised upon opening the door. "How are you!"

"Great! You?"

"You heard the news didn't you?" she sighed. Then she noticed Don's gun. "I haven't seen him!"

"I'm not here for your husband" Don assured her. "We would just like some information on the psychic cat"

"Wasn't it stolen?" she said. "And why is a federal agent involved in the disappearance of a cat? Did it have information on Iranian military secrets or something?"

"Don is my boyfriend's son" I explained.

"Oh..."

"Did your husband know anything about its disappearance?" Don continued.

"No!"

"All we want is the cat back. I'm not gonna call it in, I promise"

"Look, Don, if my husband and I were to steal pets from their owner because we suspected abuse, he and I would have a zoo on our hands" she argued.

"Maybe it also bothered you that people were being exploited." Don suggested.

"This is bullshit! You're only here because of the drug charge!" she glared at me. "We're never coming to your clinic again!"

"I share your husband's concern for the cat!" I told her.

"I've got things to do!" the wife snapped, and slammed the door.

"So much for that" I said. "Thanks for trying though"

"No problem."

He took me back home.

"How did it go?" Alan asked me when we kissed.

"The wife wouldn't corporate" I sighed and sat on the couch. "And it wasn't like Don could threaten her over a cat"

"Don's smart! He'll think of something" Alan assured me. Soon, we were having dinner. He had made spaghetti with meat sauce. Then we played scrabble.

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The next morning, Don again came to visit me at my office.

"Hey Dad! I brought burgers!" he told me with a grin.

"Thanks!" I got a bag from him.

"I talked to Charlie..." he began.

"Really?" I was angry at my younger son for what he said, and childishing refusing to visit me.

"He's upset, Dad"

"And I'm not?" I snorted.

"He feels like you're taking us for granted" Don tried to be casual.

"The two of you always come first! He should know that!" I insisted.

"You need to talk to him, Dad! He needs you to convince him"

"Sure! When he comes over, we can have a talk." I said.

"I think maybe...you should be the one who comes over to his place" Don suggested, while biting a fry the same way his mother used to.

"Why?" Did it really have to be me? This was so typical. I fight with one, and the other comes to his defense.

"Someone has to, and it'll be the right step in..."

"Look who's lecturing me on how to be a father!" I scoffed with annoyance as he gave me a look.

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I wasn't trying to advise Dad on how to be a father, just how to make peace with Charlie. I hated to see them at odds, especially over Natalie.

"Family needs to stick together! Aren't you always telling us that?" I countered.

"You're brother's acting like a three year old!" Dad said.

"He felt like you didn't listen to us that day in my car" I tried to explain, and then had an idea. "We don't we all meet at that diner? Just the three of us? So we can talk this out?"

"Like last time, when your brother had a tantrum?"

"Dad, come on! I know you miss him! Don't deny it!"

Dad decided to retreat "I've got to get back to work" He pulled out some stuff and began to read it. Taking the hint, I finished up my burger and returned to work.

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Don came to see me at my office again.

"Hey Buddy! I was thinking that maybe you, me and Dad should go out to eat sometime. Just the three of us. Why don't you call Dad, and invite him?"

"He knows that he is welcome anytime, by himself. " I told him. Why should I put up with that twit just to be with my father?

"Come on Charlie! Be the bigger one!" Don tried to cajole me.

"What about Dad? He chooses his annoying girlfriend over us!" I snorted. Why did Don have to take Dad's side?

"Your brother's right" Larry commented as he suddenly came in. "This fight with your father can't last forever!"

"That's easy for you to say!" I snapped. "Your father isn't going out with Natalie!"

Larry said with a pensive look" Actually, I'd prefer Natalie to the woman my father is currently dating"

"He chooses her over us!" I told him.

"No he does not!" Larry argued. He and my father got along very well. "How would you feel if Don had accused Amita of stealing?"

"Don would never do that, because Amita is not weird and nutty!" I said. Larry's questions was like comparing apples to oranges.

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Soon,I got a call, and had to go. As I drove back to work I had a brilliant idea. Iwould invite both Dad and Charlie to myplace. Neither would knowthat I invited the other until they saw each other.First, I called Charlie.

"Hey Buddy...why don't you come over to my place tomorrow to watch the game around two?"

"Sure..." I could hear the smile in his voice.

Then, I called Dad.

"Dad, the owner of my apartment building is remodeling, but it looks like they are doing a mickey mouse job. Could you come and check it out? Then we can watch the game at my place and have pizza.

"You're inviting me over to your place?" Dad's voice sounded puzzled.

"Yeah." It sucked to be stuck in the middle. Maybe if I hadn't mentioned my suspicions to Charlie... Either way, I had to make things right.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Charlie would it?"

"No..come on Dad! Can't I invite my own father to my place?"

"Not unless you're trying to play peacemaker again." Dad sighed. "Something tells me that you've made the same invitation to Charlie."

"Dad..."

"I've got a project to do this weekend anyway. You're free to come to my place to watch the game. With that, Dad hung up. I could tell,by the sound of his voice, that my attempt had annoyed him. I could never fool my Dad.

I shook my head. "So much for that brilliant plan"

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

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Don and I ate pizza as we watched the game. During a commercial, I asked him.

"Why are you still seeing Dad?" The question had been bothering me for a while.

"Like I said, no one is worth refusing to see him, Besides, someone needs to take care of Dad" he told me and drank some more beer. "He shouldn't be stuck with just Natalie as company"

"I'd rather watch the game here" I grabbed a pizza slice. "Her dog asks for freebies, then that damn cat lets her legs dangle in front of the T.V."

"At least Natalie doesn't really bug us" Don pointed out. "She just reads one of her little novels"

"Come to think of it, she kinda ignores us sometimes." I added.

"Yeah..."

"I should have set him up with Eva when I had the chance!" I grumbled.

"What?" Don gave me a what the hell look. He had met Eva when he investigated Finn Mongomery's death.

"Larry suggested it once, but I ignored him, thought he was joking..." I shook my head. "Eva may be tough but.. .she's smart, shares some of Dad's viewsand..."

"Is not Natalie!" Don rolled his eyes. "That's the only reason you're even riding that train of thought."

I rolled my eyes and drank some more beer.

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Suddenly, the cell phone rang and I answered. To my surprise, it was Natalie.

"Is Dad okay?" I asked. Why else would she call?

"Not since Charlie stopped coming around or at least calling!" she said. "Could you talk to him?" Man, it sucks to be stuck in the middle. Why did she have to call me?

"I have" I told her. "He just needs time." She didn't need to know all the gory details.

"Look, if I'm the reason he's not coming around, tell him that we can arrange something."

"You'd do that?" I asked in surprise, though I knew the only arrangement that would make Charlie totally happy would be a breakup.

"No one should go without being with their kids." she insisted. Guess she couldn't handle the pressure and the guilt.

"Dad's gonna notice" I pointed out.

"Charlie could at least come on the days I'm working late!" she said. "Alan misses him!"

"I'll uh...tell him your proposal" I promised, though I doubted he would take it.

"Thanks."

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"Who was that?" I asked when Don hung up.

"Natalie" he told me. "She says that you could at least come when she's working late."

"Why should I only get to see my Dad on her schedule?" I demanded.

"You're the one who doesn't wanna visit him at all because of her!" Don said. "She was just suggesting a compromise."

"Let's focus on the game!" I grumbled.

On Monday, as I neared Larry's office, I was surprised to hear Natalie's voice. I stayed just outside to listen.

"Alan's very upset" she told him. "I can see it in his eyes."

"I can imagine" Larry said.

"Maybe you could talk to Charlie?"

"I could try" Larry promised. Why did he have to side with her? Why was she butting in? Angrily, I went into the office.

"Who do you think you are?"I snapped. "You're the one causing problems, then you talk to everyone behind my back?"

"You're the petty one! I wouldn't let anyone be the reason for not seeing my father!" she glared at me.

"I uh...need to go to a ah..class" Larry uncomfortably excused himself.

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This guy was a brat! Man!

"You're the one splitting this family apart!" Charlie snorted. How dare he?

"Your brother was mature enough to put aside any issues he had with me and visit Alan, why can't you do the same?" I asked him. This wasn't the first time the children of a man I was dating disliked me. I've learnt to take it in stride and try not to interfere with the father/child bonds.

"Maybe he wants to make sure you don't take total advantage of Dad." He snapped.

What the hell? I was starting to get angrier.

"Take advantage? Who was the guy who made his dad spend the night in a hotel so that he could work on a project?"

"Who gets treated like a queen by my father only to go around stealing cats on him!" His voice got louder.

Just then, his cell phone rang and he answered it. From his side of the conversation, I could tell that it was Don.

"I gotta go" he said after closing the phone. With that he walked away.

I warned. "This isn't the end of it!"

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

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Charlie looked like he was in a bad mood when he came into the bullpen. His face was sour and he walked roughly towards my desk.

"You okay buddy?"

"Natalie went to talk to Larry!" He seethed.

"What?"

"She's going behind my back!" he told me. This made me mad. Who did she think she was, going behind my little brother's back to talk to his friend.

"When did this happen?" I asked with concern

"Today! I went to Larry's office, and I overheard her whining" Charlie crossed his arms. It was one thing to go to me but using Larry was something different. He was an easygoing guy.

"I'll go talk to her" I thought. "When I've got time."

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As I read over a patient file a while later, I thought about things. My reason for talking to Larry was because well, Charlie wasnt' gonna listen to me. I sensed the respect he had for the physicist, who always acted friendly towards me.Suddenly Nina, one of the receptionists said.

"A Don Eppes would like to see you" she said.Charlie must have whined to his big brother

"Lead him to my office" I sighed. Then, I got Rick's attention.

"Have this patient go to room two" I handed him the file. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Soon, I went to my office, to see a very irritated Don. He was standing up, and had on his sunglasses. Plus, his face was hard.

"Why did you go behind Charlie's back and talk to Larry?" He demanded.

"Charlie seems to respect him. Why are you making a big deal? You didn't have a hissy fit when I called you!" I threw up my hands.

"That's different" He said as if it were understood. "Look, you encroached on my brother's space!"

"Larry is a sentient being for crying out loud! Not Charlie's property." I argued.

"I understand what you're going through but..."

"Have you ever dated someone with kids?"

"no..." he told me..

"Then you dono't understand" I said. "Look, I've got a pregnant patient waiting for me. We can talk when I'm done." I didn't like to keep patients waiting, especially over this argument.

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She's got some damn nerve! I decided to wait for her. No one was going to get away with doing what she did to my little brother. Since we were kids I've always felt protective of him.

To pass the time, I looked around. She had her Veterinary degree on a wallbehind her desk. Next to it, was a BS in Biology she had gotten from USC. On her desk were pictures of her family, and Dad. Her parents looked old enough to be her grandparents, while her siblings looked much older than her. That would explain alot. She was the youngest but was raised as an only child.

After a while,Natalie came back.

"Don't you have criminals to catch?" she asked me.

"My brother is top priority." I told her, then continued. "How do you think Dad would feel about you talking to Larry?" Dad, was a rather private person, and wouldn't want Larry to get involved in family desputes.

"Come on! You're talking as if I went on some talk show instead ofspeaking toa close, trusted, family friend!" she argued dramatically.

"You think you know so much about our family, yet you forget how private Dad is" I shook my head. "He wouldn't want you to talk to Larry about family issues!"

"I don't like to see him suffering!" she contended. "The poor man misses Charlie, and I wanted to do something! That's part of being in a relationship! "

"Respect is also an important part of relationships!" I countered.

"Respect? You storm into my office, interupting my work because of your brother's whining and you're telling me about respect?" she glared at me.

"Whining? You talked to his best friend behind his back!"

"I had no other choice!"

"How would you feel if during a fight with you, your mother went to talk to one of your best friends behind your back.?"

"I'd be annoyed" she admitted.

"Then why shouldn't Charlie be?"

"That's why I'm a vet and not a therapist" she shrugged sheepishly. "I'm just worried about Alan."

At least she was seeing it from Charlie's percpective.

"Promise me that you'll let me handle this?" I requested.

"Sure...tell Charlie that I'm sorry"

"Why don't you tell him yourself?"

"He's not gonna believe me." she said, but I dialed his number.

"Hello?" He said.

"Natalie has something to say to you"

"I don't wanna..."

I passed the phone to Natalie.

"I just wanted to apologize for going to Larry behind your back" she said quickly, worried that he'd hang up on her.

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"Really?"I was suspicious "Or are you worried about me telling Dad?" Why else would she give a damn?

"Look buddy, she really means it, trust me" Don assured me. Natalie must have, in hope, passed the phone to Don.

"Why did you talk to her?" I asked him.

"Because you're my brother, buddy"Don explained. "Wouldn't you have done the same?"

"Yeah..."I admitted.

"Listen to Natalie!"

"Don knows how to read people!" She told me the obvious. Why did Don have to give her back the phone?

I warned Natalie."It's going to take a lot more than an apology over the phone!"

"Charlie, I went to Larry out of concern for Alan!" she explained. "He really misses you"

If Dad misses me so much, why hasn't he come over to my place?

"Come on buddy!" Don's voice come on the line.

"Let me talk to Natalie" I rolled my eyes.

"So...uh..are we okay?" she asked.

"Why don't we talk over dinner? You can apologize to me then"

"Sure!"

TBC


	38. Chapter 38

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Charlie and I made arrangements to have dinner that night at some simple diner. Alan had his book club.

We sat in silence while looking at menus.

"So...uh..how's teaching?" I asked lamely

"It's going well"

"Again, I'm sorry about talking to Larry about this" I apologized. "It's just I didn't think you'd want to talk to me"

"It's your fault that I'm fighting with my father" he suddenly said.

"What?" It was stupid of me to even hope that this would go well.

" You've done nothing but cause trouble in our family!" Charlie began. "First of, you treat Dad like a servant"

"Servant?"

"He cooks for you..."

"Wait! He cooked for you when he lived at your house!" The man's got nerve!

"And takes care of your pets" Charlie continued.

"He helps me with them! I'd do the same if he had pets"

"I just can't help but think that you get more of the relationship than he does." he said.

"I contribute to the relationship!" He was making me angry again. What the hell? I take care of Alan by making sure he goes to the doctor, and we share the domestic stuff pretty equally.

" Dad needs a true companion who won't be a burden to him." Charlie said flatly.

"I'm not a burden to your father!"

"And one who shares more of his life experiance. For God's sake, you've got the rolling stones on your alarm clock!"

"So we're back to the age thing" I snapped. "Your father and I've got a great thing going! It's not like he was one of my professors or something"

"What if you decide that you want kids? Dad's too old for them."

"I don't want them!"

"You could change your mind. There's time"

"An older woman could find herself having to raise her grandkids" I retorted. "So Alan's risking it either way."

"My scenario is much more likely" he said as I rolled my eyes.

".The only kids I'll ever want will be the furry, four legged kind."" I said, trying to keep calm. Then, I tried to counter his argument with true logic. "If I even had an inkling of maybe wanting human kids later, I would have stuck to someone my age or younger."

"Maybe you're with an older man, because men your age are less willing to put up with you" he coldly said and sipped some water.

"You're worse than your brother!" I snided.

"You know," Charlie continued "Groucho Marx once said that a man is as young as the woman he feels"

"Did he now" I seethed. How could he think that Alan was that shallow? "Do you think that applies to your father?"

"He's human"

Just then, the waiter came

"Have you decided...?" he asked tentatively, sensing the tension.

"No, give us a few more" I said to get him to leave. "Please." Soon, the man left.

"Besides, you don't respect me and Don either!" he continued "You put up with us because you have to!"

"When have I ever made you guys feel unwelcome in my and Alan's place?"

"You don't go out of your way!"

"You and Don mostly go to watch some game, eat and be with your Dad, so I give you guys space!" I said, then retorted "What more do you want? A blow job?

"No!"

"Then?"

"You take advantage of the fact that you're dating Dad to make us do things for you!" his voice got louder.

"For the record, if was your Dad's idea to store my stuff at your house, and to call Don about the psychic cat!" I argued.

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She seemed to have an answer to everything I said. It didn't make her in the right, but we seemed headed for a stalemate.

"Don't you think Dad would be happier with someone who didn't cause so many family problems?"

Natalie glared at me. "I've never asked him to choose."

"Maybe not directly..."

Just then, somebody yelled

"Are there any Vets or doctors here? Please! My dog is hurt!"

Quickly, but calmly. Natalie handed me her car keys. "Go get my medical bag"

"Okay!" I nodded, and went to get it.

By the time I arrived, Natalie was examining a whimpering big dogdog. At the restaurant's parking lot.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Carla ran a little ahead of us, and a bastard with a minihit her and left" a woman complained.

Natalie got out her cell, and made a call. From what I heard, she had contacted a local animal hospital. Then, she proceeded to give the animal first aid, and had me help her. It was sad to hear the poor dog whimpering so much. She seemed to know what to say to the animal, saying it in a very caring voice.

"It's okay, baby! Help is on the way! I promise !"

"Is it badly hurt?" I whispered, not wanting to worry the owners.

"Bones might be broken" she whispered back. "And the ribs might be fractured."

"Oh...Don't you have any pain killers for the dog in that bag?"

"I'm afraid not. Could you hold the dog for me? Thanks!" The dog growled, and tried to bite. The owners had to help us hold it.

Finally, the ambulance came; Nat and one of the owners rode along, while I and the other owner followed in our cars.

TBC


	39. Chapter 39

Eventually, I arrived at the animal hospital, it almost looked like a regular one. You had some people with white coats, others in scrubs, and more in those decorative shirts nurses wear these days. The other owner and I walked in together.

"I hope she's alright!" the woman lamented.

"With Dr. Core she will be" I said, and found myself meaning it. We found the right place, and she went in, promising to let Natalie know that I was here, waiting.

As I sat waiting, I found myself thinking about how well Natalie had handled the situation. After a while, she came out.

"How is the dog?" I asked.

"A few broken bones and internal injuries among other things" she sighed.

"Are you gonna stay?" I asked.

"The attending is in charge now. Besides, I don't have privileges here" she said.

"I could take you to your car" I offered.

"Really? Thanks!"

"You did great out there, with the dog!" I said.

"Glad ya think so" she smiled.

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I had been both surprised and grateful that Charlie had offered me a ride to my car. This change of attitude was like night and day!

"It must have been hard" he commented in the car. "To learn the anatomies of so many species"

"Yeah it was; med students have it so much easier!" I told him.

"What made you decide to become a vet?" he asked.

"I always loved animals, like my grandmother and I had a knack for science, like my Dad.He was a dentist" I replied.

"I see."

"Have you gotten injured a lot in your line of work?" he asked. Looks like Charlie remembered how the dog growled a few times.

"Yeah" I nodded. "My body is a living journal of my career. It's not the patient's fault, most of the time. Imagine getting hurt, and being taken to an alien hospital to be treated. That's how animals often feel when coming to the vet. Bedside manner is key with animals." He seemed to have more of an understanding of my job. That's always a good thing.

"You did say, when we first met, that Vets had to be animal profilers" He remembered.

"We sure do" We were both now at the elevator. A woman with a cat in a leg cast came in with us. "So you'll come over soon?"

"yeah"

Charlie and I had rather pleasant conversation on the way to the car, and in it. It wasn't chummy chummy, but we seemed to have reached a middle point. Being around him wasn't so bad anymore. Soon, I was in my car, going home. Neither of us wanted to push things.

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"How did dinner go?" Don asked me the next day at my office.

"Good, we saved a dog"

"Really?" he sat on a corner of my desk, looking like Johnny Cash with black pants and black shirt.

"It was the victim of a hit and run" I explained. "Natalie did a great job of taking care of it until the ambulance arrived."

"Is that right?" Don looked surprised at what I said.

"The dog was scared, but Natalie pulled through even though it tried to bite her"

"How's the dog?"

"Recovering I guess" I said.

"So..you guys worked things out?"

"We've got a truce" I said.

"So, you'll visit Dad with me tonight?"

"Sure!" I said. That was my plan anyway.

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I was surprised to see Charlie walk into my place with Don. What's going on? What had Don done or said to get his little brother to come here?

"Hey Dad?" my youngest told me tenatively.

"I thought you weren't ever going to visit here" I said carefully.

"I may have been hasty in saying that." he told me lamly.

"What about what you accused Natalie of?"

"Charlie and I had a talk, it's all good!" Natalie told me.

"You two had a talk?" I asked with surprise.

"It wasn't my idea. Charlie asked me to have dinner with him" Natalie said.

I deadpanned. "Why do I get the feeling that Don had a hand in this 'dinner'?"

Charlie then said "While we were uh...about to order, someone came saying that their dog was injured. So, Natalie and I worked together to help the dog until help arrived."

"Working together under those conditions, we had to put aside our differences" Natalie continued.

"Really?" I looked at Natalie. "You didn't mention this"

"I wanted to surprise you when Charlie came to visit.!" she told me. "Telling you about the dog would have ruined the surprise. "

"Okay..." I gave her a look. That made sense, in a way. "I'll go make dinner"

TBC

**Author's note: The tension is not totally resolved. They're not friends. **


	40. Chapter 40

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Dinner went well. Charlie and Natalie talked more to each other, and this seemed to please dad.

Two months passed; over that time, Nat got along a little better with Charlie. One evening, I found myself in for a shock. Dad came to see me at my apartment. He looked serious. A part of me hoped that he had broken up with Natalie.

"Dad? Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine..it's just that I've got something to talk to you about" He had an envelope in his hand.

"Sure! Come in" I told him. Soon, we sat down.

"I've uh...given Natalie the legal ability to make medical decisions for me in case ..I'm incapacitated" He said.

"What?" I had always assumed that I would be the one making those decisions, given that I'm his oldest son and all. Why the hell give that kind of power of attorney to Natalie? How could she ever make decisions in Dad's best interest like I could?

"Nat and I have been going out for a good while..."

I snapped "I can't believe you trust her judgment more than mine!"

"It's not about that!" Dad countered, and tried to explain. "I see the two of us being together long term. She's the one who's going to be the main caregiver if something were to happen and her knowledge is going to be an asset when it comes time to make the critical decisions."

"Who's idea was this?"

"Mine!" Dad glared at me.

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Why couldn't he understand?It had nothing to do with how I viewed his judgement. Besides, he should trust me enough to make my own desicion on this.

"Have you made this legal?" he asked.

"Yes I have" I told him as he groaned.

He gave me a hard look"I can't believe this!"

Suddenly ,his cell phone rang. From his end of the conversation, I could tell that it was work.

"I gotta go" Don told me when he hung up. "We'll talk later"

With, that I left his apartment in disappointment.

Later, as Nat and I had dinner, she asked nervously. "So you uh..told him?"

"Yeah..he took it well. We didn't get to talk much because he got called from work." I didn't want to worry her. Besides, Don would get used to the idea.

"Really?" she didn't believe me.

"Of course!"

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Somehow, I found it hard to believe that Don, as protective as he was of his family, would have just accepted this. My gut told me to expect a visit from him in the near future. Alan had been the one to bring up the subject. Seems like having a wife who died from a long term illness had made him aware of those things. Either way, I hoped that Alan would stay healthy and live a long, full life. I loved him and hoped to have him around for the long term.

After dinner, Alan and I played scrabble.

"Promise me one more thing" he said during his turn.

"Sure" I agreed.

he looked at me in the eye."Promise me you'll see other people, when I'm gone"

"Alan!" Why was he being so morbid?

"I worry about you being lonely, especially since you don't have kids" He explained. Why must people with kids assume that those without them are lonely? Friends of my parents had kids, but were lonely because of estrangement or lack of visiting. Lonliness and kids aren't mutually exclusive.

"I'll put out an ad the day after the funeral" I said sardonically. " ' Must like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, have half a brain and like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.."

"I"m serious!" he complained.

"Let's return to the game!" I insisted, this subject made me uncomfortable.

With a sigh, he agreed.

As I predicted, Don came to see me the next day around nine in the morning.

He began as soon as we were both in my office "Dad came to see me yesterday"

"Yeah...he uh..told me" I idly sat down on my chair.

Don continued, playing it cool, but I knew better. He sat down in a visitor's chair."You can imagine my surprise when he told me about giving you power of attorney"

"I had an inkling I guess..." I said lamely.

He asked in an accusing voice. "Why did you accept?"

I told him, trying to be diplomatic"Maybe if you looked at this objectively, the answer would be obvious."

Don scoffed "Objectively? He's my Dad!"

"And we've got to respect his wishes!"

He replied sarcastically "Yeah...especially if they are in your favor"

"Don..."

"Whatever happens, Dad's gonna need a lot of care in the long run." He began. Just when, he, Charlie and I were going from détente to quasi-friendliness, something comes up. Now here we were, fighting again, with him trying to manipulate me. "It doesn't help that his dad had lots of heart problems."

"Did he now...?" I asked with a straight face.

"He had a couple of heart attacks and a stroke. He really needed to be taken care of, like a baby, almost..."

"Oh..."

"My grandma was very overwhelmed"

"Know what, Don? Save your law enforcement mind games for suspects and perps. I've got work to do." With that I left my office.

TBC


	41. Chapter 41

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Following her to some supply room, I asked, "What? Can't take reality?" My plan was to give her second thoughts. From my experiance with mom, I knew that caregiving was a large undertaking that required commitment, time and other things I didn't think Natalie could provide Dad.

"If by reality you mean twisted half truths then yeah..." She deadpanned whileopening a cabinet toget a box of latex gloves."I know for a fact that your grandfather's incapacitation was temporary"

"My grandma was still overwhelmed." I told her calmly.

"Don..."

"What makes you more qualified to make these decisions on Dad's behalf?" I asked. Come on! I knew Dad way better than she did.

Before she could answer, a vexed young woman in kitten scrubs ran into the room.

"A Mr. Grot demands to see you."

"Oh...?"Natalie tried to have a facade of calmness, but her eyes showed her worry.

"About what?" I asked.

"Mostly to complain"the young womansaid vaguely.

"What's going on?" I asked. Was Natalie doing something shady in her line of work?

"Nothing..you just can't satisfy everybody" Natalie replied.

"Tell him Dr. Core will be right with him" I told the young woman.

"Uh..okay" she scampered off.

"What the hell did you do?" I ran all sorts of things in my mind. I had to know, this was the woman my father gave power of attorney too.

she closed the door and whispered."Sometimes, people want their pet put down for frivolous reasons, and refuse to take no for an answer or even think about giving the animal up for adoption."

"So you sedate the animal,and giveit to someone else" I guessed. How else would she fool the man?"While taking people's money"

"I can't in good conscience euthanize a healthy animal!"

"It was healthy?"

"Yeah!"

"What was the owner's reason, then?"

"over agressive behavior. He feared it would bite someone"

"That wasn't the case?" I asked.

"No! It was just lack of good training. The new owners have taken the dog to obediance school, and are doing great!" How could she know that the dog wasn't over agressive based on a short visit?

"No offense, but you don't live with the dog." I pointed out andasked . " And Why didn't you just say no upfront?" . I'd want my vet to do that"Or suggest other options.? "

"I did, but he wouldn't listen, so I pretended to agree"

I demanded"How am I supposed to trust that you're not gonna blow off dad's final wishes?"

She looked offended. Not that I gave a damn."What's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into me?" I repeated with scorn. "Maybe it's the fact that my father's wishes are going to be ignored by someone who think she knows better"

"Don..."

"What if that Dog bites someone in the future? You ever think of that?"

She argued. "Don, people lie, animals don't. That dog growled, and barked alot, but wasn't a danger. The owner said that line of B.S to manipulate me into agreeing."

"Did he now?"

"Look, Don, unless they taught you about animal behavior at Quantico, you gotta trust me on this, if nothing else. I've worked with animals almost half my life."

I hinted. trying to keep my cool,"Well, they did teach me about something called, fraud"

"Come on! I did what I had to do to save the dog!"

"You're treading on very thin ice here." I told her and wondered if she had done this before. My guess was yes.

She countered "I know, but something had to be done"

I got an idea;,that could rectify the situation with this power of attorney thing, especially for Dad's sake. He deserved better than to have Natalie as his medical proxy. Something had to be done.

I said carefully, after a pause"Come to think of it...I might be willing to help you smooth things over..."She'd probably need some help, staying out of trouble for this.Natalie couldhave problemswith the law, and even have her clinic's reputation ruined. That could be enough incentive to get her to accept my proposition.

She folded her arms."Something tells me that this favor isn't going to come cheap"

TBC


	42. Chapter 42

When it came to my Dad, nothing was too heavy handed. What if something happened to Dad and she decided to keep us out of the loop, or not be honest about his condition? The woman probably figured that being a vet, and knowing biology made her more qualified to decide on things without my or Charlie's input.

I told her firmly "Tell Dad that you don't want to be his medical proxy and that you feel I would be a much better choice, being his son and all"

"Know what Don? I'd rather risk my career than do that to Alan. I promised him that I would do this!"

"Okay.." I shrugged.

"Well, I gotta go sort this out; I'll see you in a bit." With that she left.

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Gingerly, I went to see Mr. Grot. When I got to the reception area, he stood there, all six feet of him, and glared at me.

"Why don't we talk in my uh..office" I said, and lead him to it. He angrily followed me and began his tirade the moment he sat down.

"I saw the damnedest thing the other day while on the beach in Santa Monica..." he folded his hands. "The dog I paid you to put down. !"

"Really?" I stood my ground.

"Don't go telling me that I've got the wrong dog." he threatened. "I plan to report you to the Vet board, and maybe even sue for fraud, and distress!'

After a pause, I asked. "Do you have any proof, or witnesses that the dog was agressive enough to be a danger to others?"

"Me, and uh...a buddy"

"Do any of your neighbors think the dog was too agressive?" I asked firmly.

"They did say he barked a lot"

"Did any one make complaints?"

"Nothing official" he said flatly.

"Look, your dog just needed some training."

"You put me through unnecessary anguish cause I thought my Dog was dead!" he raised his voice, but I didn't' believe him.

"I've seen lots of anguished pet care givers; you weren't one of them" I countered, and added. "How much sympathy are you going to get with a jury, when the new owners talk about how wonderful the dog is, and when you don't have enough evidence of the dog's aggressiveness?"

"I was upset at losing the dog!"

"No you weren't!"

"Would you have rather I waited until it bit someone?" he retorted.

"The problem was that you weren't willing to take the time to train him" I said. "If you wanna sue someone, get into a car accident"

"I'll talk with a lawyer and get back to you" he got out of the chair and left, closing the down behind him. With a sigh, and put my head down on the desk. Thankfully, a friend of mine was a tax lawyer, Maybe she knew someone, just in case...

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I decided to talk with Natalie some more another time. With a sigh, I went back to work. What Dad had done troubled me, and I guess it showed because Megan came to see me when I went to the break room.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine"

"Are you sure?"

"My Dad gave his girlfriend power of attorney" I admitted reluctantly.

"Really?" she looked surprised.

"Yeah. It makes no sense!" I shook my head. "She's not a part of the family!"

"Have you told your father this?"

"He sprung the news on me, and I tried to talk to him, but then I was called to work!" I said."What was he thinking?"

Before we could talk more on this subject, David came up to us with some lead, and we started to work again.

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Nat seemed troubled when she came home.

"You okay?" I asked as we kissed.

"Hard day at work" she sighed.

"Oh?"

"Disatified client. See...a few months before I met you, this man wanted met to put down a healthy dog,which he claimed was too agressive. For the sake of the dog, I gave it a sedative instead and found new owners. Turns out the original owner saw the dog"

I was shocked. "Why didn't you just turn him away, or try to convince him to give it up for adoption?"

"He wouldn't hear of it, and he might have found someone else who would put the dog down for real!" Natalie argued.

This bothered me a bit. "What if the dog had been aggressive for real? Did you need it to bite a person?"

"Alan!" she protested "I know dogs, and this one wasn't the overaggressive monster the owner made it to be"

This was criminal! How could she do this? "Isn't this fraud? After all, you took the owners money to put down the dog."

"Come on! The new owners have taken the dog to obedience school, and he's doing great! I did what I did for the dog! Don't you understand!"

"I understand your intentions ,but still..." I shook my head.

"Alan, don't you realize how often people decided to put down their pets for frivolous reasons?"

"I still think that maybe you should have tried harder to talk to the owner" I commented. The problem with Nat was that didn't relate well to people and so wasn't the best persuasive speaker. I began to imagine how I would have felt about a doctor lying to me about Margaret's treatment or condition. "Maybe you underestimated the owner?"

"What? Alan!" she started to get angry. "How can you even say that if you weren't' there?"

"I hope you don't make a habit of this"

"What are you saying?"

"I need to know that you won'thide the truth from the boys if I were to become incapacitated." I said seriously. Don't get me wrong, Natalie was a good woman, but sometimes she got carried away.

"Of course not! That's apples and oranges!" she looked me in the eye. "I've always intended to keep them in the loop. They're your sons! How could you doubt me?"

"I don't doubt you, it's just that..."

"What?"

Instead of answering, I went to the kitchen realizing that for now, the argument wasn't going anywhere useful.

"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded. "We're not done here!

"For now we are!" I insisted.

She stormed off

TBC


	43. Chapter 43

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With a huff, I went to watch T.V. How could Alan not back me up on this? I was protecting the poor dog! It's one thing to put down a very sick, and in pain animal, but a healthy animal with slight behavioral problems was a different thing entirely. Too boot, he starts to sound like Don in the distrusting department! What the hell? I'm, except in rare cases, honest with the caregivers of my patients! Besides, being a daughter myself, I would never keep the boys out of the loop. We'd fight, sure, but everything would be shared.

The next morning, I braced myself for a visit from either Don or Mr. Grot. Niether came.

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The next evening I had a night mare.

_Dad is in a coma for mysterious reasons, at the hospital,while Charlie, Natalie and I talk to a doctor who popped pills ;He recommended a risky surgury that involving killing dad for two seconds, to see exactly what was wrong, then reviving him soon after._

_I asked, "Isn't it risky?"_

_"Isn't your shirt brown?"_

_"Hey!" I snapped, _

_The prick shrugged."I thought we were playing a state the obvious contest"_

_"Come on!"I turned to Natalie furiously__"You told us that he was brilliant!"_

_"He is! Just unconventional"_

_"The man's a junkie!" Charlie yelled._

_"I need the pills for pain management" the doctor insisted._

_Natalie told us"Like it or not, I'm signing the consent form"_

_"Are you insane?" I demanded as Charlie tried to grab the consent form from her. She fought him for it._

_"Let it go!"_

_"I'm challening you in court!" I threatened._

_"I've got every right to make this decision!"_

At that moment, I woke up in a sweat.

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I sighed,while flipping channels. Alan had spent most of the evenng working on something with Stan, then we kinda talked, and he went to bed. Seems like I fell asleep because the next thing I knew, daylight poured through the curtains, a blanket was over me, and I heard Alan puttering in the kitchen.

"Morning" he said, and gave me a cup of coffee"

"Morning..." Things were still strained between us. That was one of the disadvantages of living with someone, as opposed to just dating them.

"I was thinking..." he began.

"What?" I sipped my coffee.

"That maybe we should look into getting a lawyer." he said. "In case he does decide to sue"

"I'll cross that bridge,if have to" I said. "But I've got a friend, who might know someone."

"I still keep in touch with my wife's former co workers" he nodded.

"Look, Babe, the dog is thriving, no jury is going to side with him" I argued.

"Maybe you should tell the new owners of the situation?" he suggested. "I mean he might want to take it back."

"I don't want to worry them unless I have to. Besides, he wanted to get rid of the dog in the first place!" I countered.

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"Nat, I respect that you wanted to protect the dog, but you crossed the line" I told her. "I've fought against injustice, myself, but never comitted a crime in the process"

"My hands were tied, Alan. There was nothing I could do legally. Believe me, I tried to talk him out of it."she insisted.

"If that dog bites someone you could be liable" I reminded her.

"That won't happen!"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

TBC


	44. Chapter 44

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Dad looked serious when he opened the door, that Saturday morning.

"Charlie?"

"I was uh...wondering if we could talk. Alone?" I had overheard Megan and Don talking about how Dad has given Natalie power of attorney. Why the hell did he do that? My brother seemed very upset, not only because Natalie wasn't family, but also because of his protective streak. Ever since I could remember, Mom had always told him that it was his job to take care of me. It made sense that now that she was gone, he'd be protective of Dad as well. Something told me that he and Dad had fought.

"Now?"

"As soon as possible"

"Uh..Sure. !Come say hi to Nat and we can go somewhere"

I came in and said

"Morning Natalie!"

"Morning!" she said gingerly, while sitting on the couch with messy hair and drinking coffee that Dad probably made her.

"Charlie invited me for some father/son time..."Dad began.

"Okay! Great! Have fun!" She smiled. Soon, Dad and I went in our separate cars to a pizza place.

"What did you want to talk about?" Dad asked after we ordered.

"Your giving Power of attorney to Natalie" I told him.

"Don told you huh?"

"I uh…..found out from him"

"Oh..."

"He doesn't seem too happy about it"

"He'll just..."

I interrupted him "Dad! He's protective because of you and mom! You guys taught him to be that way!"

"Your mother and I taught him to take care of you, but you were a kid then" Dad defended himself.

"Being protective is an instinct for him, Dad. He can't just turn it off" I countered "Besides, he probably promised mom to take extra care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of!" Dad argued.

"Hopefully it'll stay that way!" I said, but continued "But if it doesn't , wouldn't it be better to have your own son be in charge of that care?"

"Charlie, I don't want Don to be burdened and have to give up his life, like he did when your mother got sick." Dad tried to explain to me. "Besides, since Natalie lives with me, she'll become my main caregiver if something were to happen"

"How qualified is she to make decisions on your behalf?"

Dad began "She knows a lot about..."

I snorted "She's a vet! Unless you become a werewolf, what good is her knowledge?" I mean, there's a why you go to different schools to become a Vet or a doctor.

"Charlie..." He began in a warning tone.

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"Have you really thought about this?" Charlie asked me with wide eyes. What Natalie had pulled had wavered me a bit, but overall she's a strong, good person.

"Yes I have, and you need to trust me on this" I told him.

"Don's probably hurt that you don't trust him!" Charlie complained sourly.

"This has nothing to do with trusting Don" I told him firmly

"Somehow I doubt that..." Charlie insisted.

We argued some more while eating, and went our separate ways. When I came home, I found a note from Nat. It said.

_"I've gone to walk Rocko. Cat's still in her room_

_Nat'_

I did some work and thinking. Maybe I shouldn't have underestimated Don's reaction to this. I knew that he wouldn't like it, but not that he'd react so strongly. Charlie was right in that respect: my wife and I did teach Don to be protective, though some of it he got from her father.

Eventually Nat came home. The dog was certainly happy.

"Glad to be out, huh?" I teased the dog and petted it.

"You're back early" she said neutrally.

"Charlie had papers to grade" I told her.

"I see."

"Nat.-.I know that you meant well, when you pretended to put that dog down" I began. "Your heart was in the right place, I just think that maybe there were alternate ways of going about it."

"Alan..." she began...

"Let me finish...when Donnie was three, his mother and I took him to a protest organized by Californians for Peace. " I began and sat down. Nat did likewise. "We both thought that it would be a wonderful experience for him, to see people fighting against injustice. Guess what happened? I got arrested. You should have seen the look on his face when the L.A.P.D hauled me off. The poor kid yelled 'leggo of Daddy!' a few times. I think he still remembers that. His mother and I should have known that the police would interfere . What if I had gotten one of those violent, psychopathic cops, who would have started to beat me ? Donnie would have been traumatized!"

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At that moment, I understood Alan's point of view a little more.

"I understand" I told him. "You're trying to tell me that good intentions can blow up in my face"

"Yeah." he asented and continued. "Promise me that you'll find an alternate way next time?"

"I'll make more of an effort" I said.

Little by little, over the course of the weekend, tensions between us, cooled off a bit. Monday, however, was to bring a shock to our lives.

TBC


	45. Chapter 45

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Around eleven in the morning on Monday, I got a call.

"Alan! It's Carl!" he told me in a panic.

"What is it?" I had a bad feeling.

"Natalie, she's at the hospital!"

"Oh my God! Why?" I was in shock The thought of losing her made my blood run cold."

"She's been shot!"

"Shot?" This is something I expected to happen to Don, not Natalie.

He told me where she was, on the way, I called Don.

"Eppes?"

"It's me! Someone's shot Natalie!" I told him while trying to keep the fear out of my voice."

"What? Where is she?"

I told him, and he promised to be there.

Not soon enough, I went to the wing she was at, and a nurse kindly took me to her room. Nat was awake and talking to the doctor. Carl stood to the side.

"Hey babe!" she smiled weakly.

"Your daughter's fine, The doctor said. "We were able to remove the bullets without complications."

"Thank God!" I exclaimed and held her hand. She wore a hospital gown, but looked a little shaken.

"She'll be able to leave in a couple of days" he assured us. "She's very lucky! The bullets missed the heart by an inch"

"And they don't exactly grow on trees" Nat joked, but this terrified me.

Just then, Don came in.

He said lamely "I am uh...the patient's brother"

"I'll leave you to your reunion" The doctor said "The nurses are at your disposal if you need anything" With that he left.

"Do you know who did this?" Don asked.

"Don! She just got shot! let's worry about her recovery first!" I scolded him.

He turned to her "Natalie, I know it's not easy, but we gotta make sure your shooter doesn't hurt anyone else"

"It's someone I helped put in Jail three years ago." she explained.

"Really? How?"

"Animal cruelty. I found a stoned collie in the parking lot of a Starbucks. She had several burns on her, not to mention signs of having been whipped.. I treated the dog, took some pictures, and called the humane society."

Don asked. "You testified?"

"Yeah I did. The guy was clearly crazy, but for some reason his lawyer didn't do the insanity plea. He kept saying that someone else beat the dog, but but jury didn't buy it, thankfully, and miraculously, he got jail time."

"When the cops come to take your statement tell them everything you told me" Don advised.

"Okay"

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I was still kind of in shock over what had happened. It hadn't sunk in yet.

"How did it happen?" Don insisted.

"I was at the parking lot of my clinic about to open my car when someone calls my name, I turn, and there he was. Before I know it, I've got two bullets in me. Carl was just returning from lunch, when he saw me and called nine one one. He pretended to be my brother so that he could ride the ambulance with me."

"Let her rest, Don" Alan said firmly as he stroked my hair gently.

"Don't get mad, babe, he's just following his instincts and training. I do the same thing when I see a sick animal" I didn't want them to fight on my account.

"I'll take some time off work" Alan promised me.

Eventually, the cops came to take my statement, and two days later, I got to go home.

Carl told me that my appointments would be taken care of and to just worry about resting. I settled in the couch with pillows, and a blanket to watch T.V with my pets. A few hours after I got home, Don dropped by. .

"How are ya feeling?" he asked.

"Fine….." I said Alan came out of the kitchen.

"Donnie! I've made chicken soup. Do you want some?"

"Sure..." He assented. "I'll set myself a table here"

While eating, I did some channel surfing, but then, I suddenly stopped on channel nine. My shooter was on the News!

TBC


	46. Chapter 46

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It was, of course, for a car chase. Finally, after a while, the cops got him. Natalie looked relieved when she saw that he was being lead into a police truck.

"He's been caught, that's great!"Dad exclaimed and put his arm aroundNatalie's shoulders.

"Between this and what he did to you, he's going to be in jail for a while"I remarked.

"That's wonderful!" she said, while stroking her dog. It seemed like what had happened hadn't sunk in yet. I kinda reacted the same way the first time I was shot. Good thing she had Dad for support, though given how much anxiety, and stressthis whole thing had caused him made me glad that he didn't know about any but one of the times I've gotten shot.

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The doorbell rang again; Alan got up to answer it.

"Hey Alan!" I heard Carl's voice. "I thought I'd pop in to see how Nat was doing"

"She's doing fine." he said, and my partner came to the living room.

"Carl, you remember my son, Don?" Alan said. As far as he was concerned, they had met at the house warming.

"Hey!" Carl said neutrally. He was aware of my issues with Don, as well as our disagreements.

"Hey!" Don said back.

"Can I get you something?" Alan offered.

"No thanks" He sat where Alan had been.

Carl asked "How are ya?"

"Good...resting." I said. "How's Allison?"

He relaxed on the chair and replied."With her sister"

"Was it busy today?"

"Not more than usual. Fred and I took as many of your appointments as we could, and had the receptionist rescedule the rest."

"Thanks!"

"At the least we can do, Who covered when the two of us had births, recitals, school functions, doctor's appointments? You!..." He grinned, and continued. "I saw the funniest thing today."

"Really what?"

"A parrot that makes all the sounds a cat makes.. See, she and the owner's other pet, a cat, grew up together."

"How sweet!"

"I swear, it was almost like listening to a cat in a bird suit!"

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The phone rang, and I went to answer it.

"How's Natalie?" Hannah, her mother demanded. "A friend of mine who was visiting her grandchildren here, called me to give her support and to see if Nat was okay. She said that she heard about someone getting shot near Nat's clinic by some nut who caused a car chase?

I knew that Nat wouldn't want her parents to know because they lived so far away and she didn't want to worry them. However, the parent in me decided to answer her question.

"Nat's doing fine, but she did get shot."

"Oh my God! I'm getting tickets right now!"

"I'm taking very good care of her, Hannah, I promise. She's here at home, right now." I tried to assure her, but I knew that wasn't enough. It wouldn't be for me.

"Can I speak to her?"

"Of course." I covered the mouth piece.

"It's your mother. She knows you got shot." I whispered to Nat.

"Who told her? I doubt they'd broadcast that in Miami!" she asked.

"I did.." I admitted.

"Why?" she groaned, and sighed. "Must be some parent code?"

I handed her the phone.

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"Baby, what happened?" she asked me with worry.

"It was some pet owner who I testified against" I explained calmly. "Doctors were able to take care of everything right away. It was a minor wound, mom.Alan's taking great care of me."

"Nothing can compare to the care of a mother" she said gently. "I'm going to fly out there."

"Mom! It's fine."

"I wont' stop worring until I see you" she insisted.

"Don't I sound fine on the phone?"

"If you had your own kids, you'd understand." she used the same old argument.

We went back and forth a few more times, and she told me that she'd call once a flight was booked. She told me that Dad would also come.With that, we said our goodbyes.

"My parents are coming" I said.

"Not that I blame them" Alan asented.

"There is no need for them to fly accross country! I'm recovering!" I argued.

"I would have done the same thing" Carl also agreed with my parents. With a sigh he got up. "I gotta go I've got a late appointment with the dentist."

"My condolences!" I told him.

"It was nice seeing you Carl" Alan smiled.

"Thanks, Alan."

"Bye Carl" Don said, and my partner left, and Alan went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks.

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I had kinda understood Natalie when she indicated that she didn't want her parents to know. In fact, I agree. She was just being a considerate daughter. I could tell that she was close to her mother and really cared about her. So, it bugged me that she couldn't understand my concerns when it came to Dad. Maybe it was because she was a youngest, and not an oldest. The fact that she still had both ofher parents could also be a factor.

Two days passed, and I got to meet Natalie's parents as they were there, when I came.

"Hannah, Zack, I'd like you to meet Don" Dad introduced us.

"Your father has told us a lot about you" Hannah said. She looked like an older version of Natalie. I shook both of their hands, though I was wary, given their having doubts about Dad.

"I was just about to make Natalie one of her favorite dishes. Would you like some?"

"Hannah! You just arrived a few hours ago. Rest a couple of days" Dad advised.

"We came here to take care of our princess!" Zack said. He was watching T.V with Natalie.

"I'll stay for dinner,thanks" I agreed. I had come to give Dad my support. Natalie's mom was a pretty good cook.

"It's a good thing Alan can cook, or else the two of them would starve" Hannah teased. "I tried to teach her,but she, when not studying was busy with her many pets, volunteering at the humane society, or working part time at a vet's office."

"Nat always wanted to be a Vet huh?" I asked.

"Since she was little." her dad said. "When did you decide to become an F.B.I agent?"

"After a few years out of college" I said.

"Alan mentioned that you work long hours" he remarked.

"I sure do."

"Nat used to, but thanks to there being more animal hospitals and the fact that she's in her ownaprivate practice, her schedule isn't that bad."

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Dinner was pleasant. Right after, Don got called and had to go back to work. As Alan, picked up the dishes, despite protests,mom and I talked in the living room.

She asked. "Things seemed strained between you and Don. Does he have issues with your relationship?"

"It just that uh...Alan gave me power of attorney and he's kinda ticked" I admitted.

"That's a uh..big step" Dad remarked and looked at mom.

"Wouldn't you be mad if your father or I decided to give power of attorney to someone outside the family?" she asked me wisly, This got me to thinking.

"Come to think of it, yeah..." I began to understand Don's point of view on this.

."Honey..if you had met Don..first" my mother began to ask

"Mom! Don isn't my type!" I groaned in a low voice.

"I take it you've had other problems with him?" Dad asked.

"It took him and his brother a while to get used to me" I said neutrally. "They had in mind a middle aged widow with grown kids of her own not a vet in her forties"

"The Beatles did say, you can't always get what you want" Dad seemed annoyed at Alan's sons.

"That was the Stones, Dad" I told him.

"So how serious are things with Alan? Is marriage in the works?" Mom asked. They both wanted to know.

"Mom! We haven't discussed it!" I groaned.

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The next day, I got a call from, of all people,Natalie.

"Hey Don! I uh...just wanted to apologize for not understanding why you were upset about the whole power of attorney thing. I was talking to my parents last night and began to realize that I would also be upset in your position."

" Oh..I see. Apology accepted." I said. It sounded very sincere she seemed to be making more of an effort to understand.

"I'd come in person, but I'm not quite up to it"

"This is fine." I said. We talked a bit more about this and that, then hung up.

While, I still wasn't quite okay with the relationship, I was glad to see that she had made some effort. Before I could think about it too much, Megan told me we had a major lead and I went to work.

TBC


	47. Chapter 47

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That night, I had a nightmare, I was in the waiting room of my clinic, about to call my next patient, when someone burst in with a machine gun and started shooting at everyone. I woke up with a scream.

"Sh...! It's okay I'm here!" Alan comforted and held me.

My parents ran into our room.

"What's going on?" my mom asked.

"Just a bad dream" I told her, trying to sound dismissive about it. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Dad worried. "I brought some camomile tea from home."

I did feel shaken, so I said. "Maybe a little tea might help."

"I'll make it for you." Alan got his robe. Soon, the four of us were in the kitchen.

"What was your dream, baby?" Mom asked.

"Nothing worth mentioning" I said as she filledturned on the electric kettle. Dad got put the tea bag in a cup.

"But you screamed!" she insisted.

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The fact that they hadn't knocked had bothered me a bit. Natalie's getting shot must have really shaken them. Reluctantly, she told us the nightmare.

"Sounds like PTSD." Frank said with concern. "Maybe you should go see a therapist?"

"Dad..." Nat protested.

"You should learn how to use a gun!" he suggested to myhorror.

"What?" I gave him a 'what the hell?' look.

"A friend of mine told me thatlearning how to use a gun was very therapeutic for him after getting robbed at gunpoint" Frank explained to me. "because it helped himwith that sense of powerlessness. What Nat's been through was also violent."

"Don could teach her." Hannah continued.

"Guys... I don't think so..." Nat shook her head.

"It's late, why don't we all go back to bed?" I suggested to avoid an argument.

"Will you be alright?" Hannah asked.

After a bit,we allwent to bed.

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It took me a while to get to sleep, the dream had greatly disturbed me. I woke up around eight.

By the time a week and a half passed, things got a little strained.

"Are your boys visiting again?" Mom asked when she saw Alan take out steaks from a paper bag once he returned from the store. We were serving ourselves water.

"Yeah"

"Need help with the cooking?"

"It's just going to be steak and mashed potatoes. Don's favorite" Alan told her. I was feeling better and walking around, but not quite up to going to work.

"Would you like me to make my famous macaroni and cheese?" she offered. "I pu tthree kinds of cheeses in it."

"Maybe tomorrow Hannah" Alan put salt and pepper on several steaks.

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"Are you sure you don't need help, babe?" Nat asked me.

"I'll be fine" I assured her." I was happy that Nat's physical recovery seemed to be going well, though she still had nightmares once in a while.Her two siblings called and checked up on her.

Hannah was a nice, smart woman, but cooking with her was a bother. The kitchen wasn't that big, and we'd both be needing to use the same thing, for looking for something in the same cabinet. Plus she was a messy cook.

Nat's father, yet again to my annoyance, brought up the gun thing, but this time with Don.At dinner, Frank asked him "Do you think that learning to use a gun would be therapeutic for Natalie?"

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I diplomaticallyreplied "It's been known to help some people after being victims of violent crimes". I could feel Dad's glare from two seats down.

"Is the steak the way you want it Donnie?" Dad asked to change the subject.

"Yeah..." I said and put a piece in my mouth. It didnt' surprise me that Dad disliked the idea. Smartly, he kept the conversation away from this topic.

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A while afterdinner, when Frank went into the kitchen , I followed him in there to have a talk.

"Frank, I understand your concern, but maybe learning how to use a gun isn't the best thing for Natalie" I told him, as he opened the fridge and got a beer.

"I know my daughter, Alan. It'll do her good."

"It sounds like you're projecting"

"Projecting? What could you have against this? Don has a gun!" He opened the beer bottle.

"His life depends on having it." I reminded him. "I totally understand what you are going through, but getting a gun is not the answer for Nat." She had never expressed an interest in learning how to shoot.

"Hey guys.." Don said.He had come in without us noticing.Frank and I stopped arguing. "Is everything all right?"

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I had heard some of the fighting when I got in.

"Just a minor difference of opinion, Don"Nat's dadshrugged casually. "About Nat's getting a gun"

"Maybe..uh..she should be the one to decide" I said carefully while getting my own beer.

"You'd teach her?" Nat's Dad asked.

"Is that what she wants? "I asked. After all, it was her decision. Besides, I knew how Dad would feel about my offering to teach her. Then, I had an idea.

"Megan teaches Krav Maga at the Y. Maybe Nat could take lessons?" I suggested. It was a martial art from Israel that focused more on self defense than art.

"Sounds like a good idea" dad said. "I'll talk to Nat about it."

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Alan, and my Dad were taking a little too long in the kitchen, but before I could go check on them, they and Don returned.

"Hon, Don was just telling me that Megan, one of his team members, teaches Krav Maga at the Y. Maybe you'd like to take some lessons?"

"Lessons?" I thought about it. I had felt so helpless that day, when I had gotten shot. This vulnerability has made me startle easily and have nightmares. Maybe it might do me good? "Sure."

I asked Don for Megan's number, and called her.

"Reeves?"

"Hi! Megan! It's Natalie.."

"Hi! How are you?" She asked with concern.

"Good..I was wondering if you had room in your Krav Maga class? "

"I've got a few spaces left."

"Great! When do you have them?"

She told me the schedule, and I promised to start as soon as the doctor gave the okay.

Soon, I told my parents about my desicion.

"That's a great idea sweetheart!" Dad told me. "Trust me, you'll feel better, and have more peace of mind. I heard that with Krav Maga, you can fight against an armed person!" Dad and I were in the living room.

"Nat just wants to learn self defense, not how to be a body guard!" Mom teased him.

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The next day, in the break room, I thanked Megan for letting Natalie into her class.

"I don't mind" she said and stirred her coffee. "And I'll tell her that if she needs someone to talk with outside of class, she can count on me."

"Thanks! She only used to worry about getting scratched or bitten" I told her.

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Before I knew it, time passed, my folks left and the stitches were out, and I went to take my first Krav Maga class.

TBC


	48. Chapter 48

The sounds of bag hitting, chatting, and even yelling could be heard from the reception. Soon, I was at the gym. Megan gave a young man instructions, and he tried the move she showed him. She nodded in approval and gave him some more advice. Then, she walked towards me.

"How are you?" she asked warmly, wearing workout clothes.

"Great!"

"I teach both intermediate and beginning in this session. Let me introduce you." she took me to a nervous group at the side.

"Everyone, this is Natalie." she said.

She partnered me up with someone, and the lesson for the beginners started. It was quite intense, and Megan was a tough but fair instructor. I was kinda getting the hang of it until I hit my partner a little too hard.

"Shit! " he yelled and snarled at me.. "What's the big idea?"

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized. The grab he had made, though I knew he would do it, had kinda scared me.

"Why don't we take a break?" Megan suggested to the group and took me aside.

"I just wanted to let you know if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm all ears" she said gently.

"Thanks." I said.

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Nat got home around nine.

"How did it go?" I asked after we kissed.

"so so...I hit my partner too hard doing an exercise." she said with a frown. "His fake attack scared me, so I panicked..."

"Oh..." I said, with concern.

"I've been feeling like a declawed cat since the shooting" she admitted.

"Declawed cat?"

"Declawed cats often feel scared and vulnerable because they don't have their main weapon." she explained. "That's one of many reasons why I think it should be outlawed" she sat on the couch and I joined her.

"Did you feel like you were reliving what happened?" I asked with concern.

"Kind of" she said.

"Has this affected you at work?"

"I'm sometimes get startled, and going to the parking lot puts knots in my stomach." she sighed. "So I park my car elsewhere."

I put my arm around her and she put her head on my shoulders.

"You can't avoid the parking lot forever" I told Nat. "A friend of mine who also volunteers at the shelter told me about how he was once threatened at knife point there. He was afraid to go back at first, but then realized that he couldn't let some nut change his life and that he needed to face his fears. Why don't you try to park closer to the parking lot tomorrow? Then from there you can work your way up?"

"I could ..try" Nat replied reluctantly.

"You can't let your fears run your life..." I continued. "I always worry about Donnie and Charlie getting hurt on a case, but I've learned to realize that life is full of risks, and I should enjoy being with them instead of worrying all the time"

Don visited us some days later, watch a game, on a night Nat had to work late.

"Charlie told me that you closed a case" I remarked.

"Yeah" Don smiled. "We arrested the perp" He looked cheerful, and proud. Nothing gave me greater pleasure than seeing my sons happy.

A while later she came into the house, with a parrot in a cage.

"She's a brick hooouse!" it squawked and continued "Who loves ya baby?"

"I see that you've brought a guest" I told her diplomatically with a kiss, though I felt annoyed.

"I'll explain later, Babe" she promised.

"I'll hold you to that" I told her.

"Whose is it?" Don had gotten up and went closer to the bird with a puzzled look.

"Everybody lies!" it declared.

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Typical Natalie! How could she bring that bird without consulting Dad? To his credit, he was acting pretty calm about it. Jane, if we were living together would have reamed me if I had done the same thing.

"Who loves ya baby?" the bird repeated. Natalie's dog and cat were nearby, while she still held the cage.

"An acquaintance..." she told me.

"What about the cat?" I asked.

"The bird will stay in the guest room." she assured me.

"Is this acquaintance a regular?" I asked.

"You'll thank me later!" the parrot squawked. It had bright red feathers with yellow trim on the edge of its wings.

"No, someone I owed a favor to" she said.

"What kind of favor?" I asked carefully.

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Would it have killed her to consult me? That's why we've got cell phones. Why couldn't she have kept it in her clinic? They've got animals lodged there all the time for one reason or another.

"Whatever kind of favors it was...Parrots require more care than we can provide." I said. "We've already got two animals, and both of us work full time..."

"It's just until tomorrow night babe!" she insisted.

"Why don't you put it in your clinic?" Don asked the logical question.

"the owner...wouldn't hear of it"

"And you owe ...Don began, but stopped when his cell rang. He talked for a bit, hung up and said "I gotta go." So he left. That's when the arguing started.

"Owing favors doesn't change the fact that this is my house too!" I said.

"Who loves ya baby?" the bird repeated. "You're a smeghead!"

"What were you thinking?" I continued.

"Alan..."

"And don't tell me to calm down!"

"I've owed this guy a favor since before I met you" she countered.

"Couldn't you offer free meds or something?" I snorted. She still held the cage as the cat was close by, attracted by the bird's movements.

"I did!"

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"Fine! Just don't expect me to help take care of it!" Alan left the living room in a huff.

"Smeghead!" the parrot said again, while the cat still hovered. With a sigh, I watched TV with my pets and the bird, named Red Adder, who liked to put in its two cents with various things it had learned to say. Rocko would respond with barks, while the cat, stayed close by, hoping that I would get distracted long enough for her to make a move. The cage was near the coffee table.

"I can't hear myself think with that bird's yapping!" Alan complained from the dining room, where he had several blueprints spread out..

The next morning, per the owner's request, I left the radio on for the bird, who was in the guest room.

"The cat kept me up!" Alan complained as he sullenly got ready for work. "And why is the radio on?"

"To keep the bird company." I said, and continued. "Look, babe, I had no choice! The bird will be out of here before you know it. I'm sorry!"

"I gotta go" Alan mumbled, and soon he was gone.

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Don told meabout the parrot when I came into the office to help out with the case.

"Poor Dad!" I commiserated, but hoped "Maybe now he's seeing the light when it comes to that woman!"

"He wasn't too happy about it." my brother shook his head.

That night, Larry and I went there for dinner. The parrot was there, in the living room, inside its cage.

"Nat's taking care of this bird for someone." he said neutrally, but added. "Make yourselves comfortable. Dinner will be ready soon."

"I remember a professor of mine at grad school, had a parrot, though it was blue. It would always be at his office." Larry admired the animal. "This one's got a nice coat of feathers."

"Good evening!" the bird said.

"And good evening to you!" Larry said with a smile.

"Hey guys!" Nat suddenly appeared from the hallway. "I take it you've met Red Adder?"

"Does he know a lot of phrases?" my friend asked her.

"Yeah he does"

"Who loves ya, baby?" the bird squawked, and added "Gimme your brain!" It seemed to like Larry. I could tell by how it moved, and seemed animated.

Larry laughed. "Looks like your owner is a Hitchhiker's fan."

"What he needs is a ball of cotton in his beak!" Dad muttered as he came into the living room. "Anyway, dinner is ready."

"Has Red Adder been feed?" Larry asked.

"Ask Nat" Dad said with a shrug and returned to the kitchen. Was there trouble in paradise?

"Don't worry, Alan's bark is worse than his bite" my friend told the bird in a soothing voice.

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Soon, dinner was served. Alan made lasagna.

"That is really a delightful bird, Natalie!" Larry told me, while serving himself.

"They're pretty smart animals." I remarked. "Some stage magicians use them in their shows"

"Really?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"How long is he staying with you?" Larry drank some water.

"The owner's supposed to pick him up tonight." Alan said, while drinking some more beer.

"Oh..." Larry sounded disappointed, and his facial features drooped.

After dinner, Alan, Charlie and I watched some movie on TV, while Larry, with his face resting on his hand, observed the bird with intense interest.

"Coo coo!" the parrot imitated a cuckoo clock. "Coo coo!"

"This reminds me of cuckoo clock my mother used to have." Larry remembered wistfully.

"by mennon!" the bird continued, encouraged by Larry's attention.

"You're a smart little bird, aren't you?" he teased it with a small laugh.

"I am the walrus!" Red Adder declared.

"Don't encourage the bird!" Alan complained to Larry. "I'm trying to watch the movie!"

"How could you not like this bird?" Larry asked him with a puzzled face. "It's very delightful."

Around nine in the evening, Alan flatly suggested in my ear

"Maybe you should call the owner? Hmmm?"

"Okay.." I agreed. So I did.

No one answered at any of the numbers he gave me, not even the cell!

TBC


	49. Chapter 49

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" He didn't answer, so I left some messages on his home and cell phones." Nat told me when she returned to the living room. Damn it!

"The owner couldn't be reached?" Larry asked.

"Nope" Nat sighed.

"Maybe he hoped for this arrangement to last longer than two days." I suggested cynically with my arms crossed. "Did he even call you at all today?"

"Yeah, this morning!"she said.

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After Natalie made the calls and told Dad the news, things between them seemed strained.

A few days later, when I went to see Larry at his office, the parrot was there.

"Hello!" it told me, when I greeted Larry.

"Why is the bird here?" I asked.

"Natalie found out this morning that the bird's owner died" he whispered, as ifafraid to alert the bird ."So she called me, and asked if I would be interested in adopting it. I met with her to pick it up, and to get instructions about birdcare. She really knows a lot a bout them and offered free house calls! After my last class of the day, I'm going to get a bigger cage, and buy some books!"

Larry, a parrot owner? He never failed to surprise me.

"It's good to see that the bird found a new home" I told him.

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Nat went to see me, with a bribe of takeout.

"Hey babe! I've got great news! "She beamed upon arriving at my desk.

"The owner finally decided to pick up his bird?" I asked coolly.

"Larry decided to adopt it!" she told me.

"Larry?" I was puzzled. "What about the owner?"

"I found out that he died this morning" she said somberly.

"Died?"

"He got shot during a robbery" she said.

"That's terrible!" I told her, but before we could talk more, her cell rang and she answered it. A few seconds passed and I figured out it was Larry. By the time she finished on the phone with him, it was time for me to meet with a client.

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Charlie called me on my cell.

"Guess what? the bird's owner died!"

"Really? How?"

"He was killed in a robbery"

"What?"

"There's more! Larry adopted it!" Charlie said. "Natalie really got lucky!"

"Yeah.." I agreed. Dad didn't seem too happy about the bird, and its leaving would pacify him somewhat.

"How can he stay with someone who is inconsiderate of his feelings?" Charlie asked with concern.

"I'm as puzzled as you are buddy"

"Dad needs an intervention." I could hear the pout in Charlie's voice.

"We just need to give him time." I consoled him with more confidence than I felt.

"Time! Look what's it's gotten us so far? Dad still lives with her!" he retorted.

"We've tried to tell him, kiddo; Dad's just gonna have to figure what kind of person Natalie is, for himself" I sighed.

"Maybe Megan can do something?" Charlie hoped.

"Come on man!"

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A few days later, Nat and I prepared to have dinner with one of my clients around eight. She wore a pretty aqua dress that I hadn't seen before. Things between us were getting there.

"Is that a new dress?" I asked.

"A little something I bought on the fly" she replied ,with a smile, though I could tell that she was nervous. Nat wasn't much of a schmoozer.

Soon enough we met with my client and his wife, Georgina, who both were about my age. It was a nice French restaurant called Taix. I had come there few times. We were all seated at a booth.

"This place had the best chicken cordon bleu." Georgina beamed.

"It sure does" I agreed. The place looked the same with its light carpeting, fake candles on the walls, and nineteenth century wallpaper.

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I remember going to this place once for a date, It looked the same. I had felt apprehensive, when Alan had first told me about the dinner invitation, but I knew how important this kind of socializing was to his business. I desperately hoped that they were pet owners. Not surprisingly, the couple started to talk about their kids, while Alan talked about the boys.

"You don't have any children, Natalie?" Georgina asked.

"No...two legged ones, if that's what you mean" I joked lamely.

"Like my daughter. She adores her cats, and acts like their mother" she remarked.

"Natalie's a vet" Alan told her.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah..." I said. ."I co own a practice."

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The conversation turned to other things, and Nat didn't say much. Just when I thought things couldn't get more awkward, they did.

TBC


	50. Chapter 50

Somehow the topic had turned to home owner associations, and she started to complain about them, before I could stop her. The thing was, that my client was the president of one.

"They've got the most asinine rules. A friend of mine, who's got her husband,a member of the reserves,in Iraq is getting fined for having the American flag on her window. She's now got a lien on her house for being supportive of him."

"The rules you call asinine are for the good of all." my client said neutrally. "Have you ever owned a home?"

"Okay...so you wanna keep property values up, but power corrupts. Power is like cocaine. The people in charge of the HOAs..."

I pretended to choke on my food so that she wouldn't finish her thought...I agreed with her, but now wasn't the time to discuss this issue...

"Babe?" she looked worried, and by her posture, I could tell that she was ready to do the hemlich.

"Fine..." I said after a few more fake coughs.

"You okay?" Georgina asked.

"Something went down the wrong pipe.." I shrugged and drank some wine.

Deftly, I changed the subject, not really blaming Nat, as she didn't know that he was the president of an HOA.

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After what seemed like a long time, dinner finally ended, so Alan and I could finally go home. In the car I made my apologies. I really felt bad about what had happened!What was it with me, and rubbing people the wrong way? I had realized, after some thinking over dinner, that maybe bad mouthing anything wasn't the best of ideas.

"Don't worry!" he assured me. "There was no way you could know that he was the president of an HOA without me having told you."

"What? You're kidding right?"

Suddenly, Larry called me in a panic on my cell.

" Red Adder is plucking himself again!" he wailed so loudly, that I had to hold the cell away from my face.Soon,I could hear him begging the bird"Red! please!"

"He seems to have some trouble adjusting and probably misses his owner" I told him.

"Could you come over?" he requested. "I'm at my wit's end!"

"Give me a bit, and I'll be there as soon as possible." I told him. After some more reassurance, We hung up and I explained the situation to Alan.

"Do you want me to drop you off ?" I offered.

"I'll go with you." he generously said. "You can take care of the bird, while I help Larry through this."

"Great!" I said, and what he said made sense. Alan, having had kids, knew exactly what Larry was going through.

With that, we were both on our way to Larry's place.

TBC


	51. Chapter 51

Before we went to Larry's place, Alan and I stopped off at my clinic to get an ecollar(it's shaped like an upside down lampshade and is put on an animal's neck)as well as an antidepressant for the bird. I had already advised Larry,a couple of days earlier, to get Red Adder some more toys, and to hid the food among them, but alas it wasn't working.

Carl and one of the vet techs were there, and I said hello. Then, I went to check on a some patients I had in the clinic overnight.

Soon, Alan and I were at Larry's place.

He anxiously let us in.

"Is he doing any better?" I asked.

"He is now just chewing on the feathers" Larry said.

"Don't blame yourself Larry!" Alan advised. "When Donnie was a newborn, he scratched himself in the face. His mother and I felt so guilty when he cried, but the nurse kindly advised us to cut his fingernails andput gloves on him."

" I brought an anidepressant for Red Adder" I said, after examining the bird to make sure that the self plucking wasn't anything physical. "This might help some" Carefully I administered the medicine to the bird, who ruffled his feathers, squawked in protest,and bit me Then, I got out the ecollar.

"You're not going to give him that collar are you?" Larry pouted, as the bird hopped around from the agitiation of having to take medicine.

"Just until we can be sure he won't hurt himself" I explained.

"I take him with me to work, so he won't be lonely, and let him out in my office, home,and class" Larry told me.

"and that's great!"

"Should I get more toys?" He asked.

" It can't hurt" I told him.

It was painful to see the bird missing some of its feathers.

"How is he going to get better if he's got that collar on?" Larry argued. "Shouldn't we see if the antidepressant is enough?"

"Natalie doesnt' want to put on the ecollar anymore than you do, Larry." Alan said gently. "Her priority is the well being of the bird."

After some more thinking, Larry agreed to letting me put it on.

With effort, afew bites, and some scratchesI put on the ecollar. Then, I explained to Larry on how to administer the medicine, and how many times a day.

"I'll come by here the day after tomorrow" I promised. "Believe me, it can be worse if I don't put on the ecollar.Parrots can do very nasty, painful, things to themselves."

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I could understand what Larry was going through. It had been hard for meto see my sons be pained by shots or some other medical treatment.

We stayed with him a while longer, and then we were on our way home.

"That poor bird!" I murmured in the car.

"Hopefully it'll be enough." Natalie remarked. " He seemed well taken care of."

"It's almost like he's grieving" I breaked at a stop sign.

"He is. Parrots are very sensitive creatures. More than most people give them credit for." Nat explained to me.

"You did well in giving him to Larry" I complemented her.

"Thanks"

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"Charles! Could you help me give Red his medicine?" Larry asked as he came into my office after my nine A.M class. His face drooped"It's proving to be more difficult than I thought. It looked so simple when Natalie did it!"

"That's because she's had lots of practice" I reminded him, not looking forward to this task, but I was curious. "What kind of medicine are you giving him?"

"An antidepressant"

"Birds can take antidepressants?" I asked with surprise.

"Apparently so" he shrugged. "His feather plucking is a symptom of depression and grief."

" oh..."

" So could you help?"

" Sure." I agreed reluctantly and we both went to his office. The talons and beak reminded me of the possibility of being bitten or scratched.

Larry soon locked the door , and opened the bird's cage. This was not going to be fun.

TBC

**A/N:I'll try to have more plot development in the next chappy.**


	52. Chapter 52

The upside down lampshade on the bird's neck looked chewed on to some extent, and a small patches of him looked liked the chickens you bought from the grocery store. Larry gently came close to the bird after getting the medicine, but the bird, upon seeing it, flew to the other side of the office before Larry could do anything.

"If only he could react the same way he does when I bring him food" he complained with a frown.

This gave me an idea. "Why don't you put it on his food"

"The form of the medicine doesn't allow me to do that" he said and showed it to me.

"oh..."

"Natalie said to be firm, but gentle. Sounds like a paradox, doesn't it?" he began to muse.

"Come towards him with food, grab him, then I'll bring you the medicine."

"okay" he agreed, got out the food, and lured the bird back with it after I hid the medicine.

."Grab him" I said, and Larry did so. Then, he handed him to me. My friend tried to give Red the medicine.

"Gaw!" the bird squawked, flapped his wings furiously, and bit him.

"Ow!" Larry yelped. I could barely contain the bird.

"Try it again!" I gritted, as the bird bit and scratched me.

After some more struggling, I just let the bird go.

"What are we going to do?" Larry lamented.

"Let's call Don?" I suggested. "He knows how to handle violent humans. A parrot shouldn't be a problem

"Maybe I could make an appointment with Natalie, so that she can do it and show me again?"

"Natalie is probably in the middle of an operation" I said quickly, as I preferred to deal with Don than her. Besides it would be funny to see Don try to give medicine to that parrot.

"Go ahead" he nodded his head.

So, I called my brother's cell.

"Eppes?" he answered.

"Hey bro! Larry needs a favor"

"What kinda favor?" he asked without hesitation. My brother liked Larry.

"Natalie prescribed an antidepressant for the bird, but we're having a hard time administrating it. Could you help?"

"Has Larry called Natalie?" he asked neutrally. I knew that he didn't want to do this.

"No..."

"Wouldn't she be better qualified to help him?"

"Well...I figured since you're uh...trained to tackle violent people...you could help us?"

"The perps I arrest don't have talons, wings and beaks" Don pointed out. "I'm not gonna be much help to you, buddy. Call Natalie" With that, my brother hung up.

"What did he say?" Larry asked.

"That he doesn't think he could be much help."

"Let's go see Natalie at her clinic" Larry said. He lured the bird back into his cage using food, which was covered as soon as it got back in, and we went. Soon we arrived. It was full of people and their pets. The sounds of birds, cats, dogs, and other animals permeated, not to mention the smells.

"Can I help you?" A pretty receptionist asked.

"I'd like to uh...see Dr. Core. It's rather urgent." Larry said.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"She said I could call or come by anytime" Larry said.

the redhead looked at her computer "I'm afraid she's with another patient, and is backed up in her appointments."

"it's just that I need to give my bird his medicine, and it's proving difficult" Larry explained.

"Are any of the other vets available?" I asked.

Just then, I heard Dad's voice.

"Charlie!Larry! " he smiled at us. "What's wrong with the bird?"

"I can't give him his medicine, and Natalie seems busy" Larry explained.

"Maybe you can help us Dad? I mean….you used to give me and Don medicine when we were babies" I said.

"Those were the days!" dad laughed. "But you two didn't have beaks and talons. Look, let me take him to Nat. The people at the front desk know me"

"Thanks Dad!"

"I'll come along" Larry said. "Maybe she could show me again?"

"Sure!" dad agreed, we all went to Natalie's office.

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I had come to see Nat, as I was closeby, and just because. Soon enough, she hurridly came into her office.

"hey guys!" she greeted us cheerfully and kissed me. "Is there something wrong with the bird?"

"I can't seem to give him his medicine" Larry explained with a frown.

"Parrots aren't easy to give meds too" Natalie said in a comforting voice. "Let me see" She uncovered the cage, cooed at the parrot. and then, gave the medicine to the very reluctant bird, while explaining things to Larry.

"The Vet tech is probably done with the patient by now, so I gotta go" she said apologetically, while putting a hand on my right shoulder.

"We've got to get back to our own jobs...but Thank you for your help!" Larry said with a smile.

"No problem." she gave me a kiss and was on her way.

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Some days later,I went to see Dad around eight at his place. Natalie, while there, spent the entire evening on the computer. It looked like she was chatting online with someone. But who? She usually communicated with her family via the telephone.

Curiously, I tried to see who she was chatting with. Something told me that it was another one of her investigations. Since they had given her problems before by exposing her to crazies, I discretly tried to check it out, but each time, her cat, who was sitting on the moniter, would look up and betray my presence, causing me to lamely ask where something was and Natalie to quickly minimize it.

I pretended not to notice what she was doing.

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Recently, one of my Vet techs, that at a veterinarian hospital his cousin worked at, the Rimadyl, a medicine used to treat canine pain and inflammation for aritis, tended to run out kinda fast. Said cousin suspected one of the vets, but had no proof. She was giving me info, online. What she had told me had been convincing enough.

_"Why the hell would someone steal Rimadyl?"_ she asked at one pioint. _"I doubt it would have the same street value as morphine, or whatever else you can get at a human hospital."_

She was right. Usually the people who stole vet meds were desperate junkies, who broke into vet clinics. Or you go the occasion nut, who liked tranquilizers that were made for animals.

Then, I had a thought and shared it with her _"What if...it's an ingredient for something? Like the cold meds?"_

_"That would make sense"_ she replied, as Layla betrayed Don's presence yet again.

The next day, I, and Rocko, took him to see the guy, figuring I could gain the man's trust that way. It was probably not the best, idea, but **that **was the only **way** I had. In the waiting room, I put fake info on the form, .

After a while, it was finally my turn. I was lead by a Vet tech into a room. As soon as he was gone, I did some snooping. The other two patient rooms had other patients and their caregivers. The vet's office was closed, and to my annoyance, locked. Hmmmm I thought I kept my office open, only locking up drawers that held sample medications, and my prescription pads. That seemed suspicious to me. When caught by the same vet tech who led me in. I blamed ADHD, and went back to where Rocko, who seemed restless, was.

Eventually, the Vet came to see me. He was Don's age with brown hair and blue eyes.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Well...like...little Gigi is totally not eating!" I did my best over protective owner wail. "And he just like barks all night!"

"Is he alone all the time?"

"He's got Zola to keep him company"

"Zola?"

"My husband's Dalmatian!"

""oh..."

He gave me some reassurances, and a few recommendations, that were pretty good. Then, after saying goodbye, and paying in cash, started to leave. Seeing a man waiting, I sat down, and asked.

"You've been here before?" I asked idly..

"Yeah a few times"

"Dr. Henderson seems like a good vet, doesn't he?"

"Yeah...he gives it to ya straight!" the man, who was in his twenties replied; his german sheperd sat nearby. "He comes to my pizza place all the time!"

"I just love pizza!" I cooed. "Where is your place?"

"Here's a card" he gave it to me.

"Thank you!" With that, I left after getting Henderson's business card from the front desk.

That night, while channel surfing, I stopped upon seeing an anchor talk about a possible new street drug called 'y' available in clubs, and through dealers.

"Why the interest?" Alan asked me.

"The cousin of one of my vet techs suspects that a vet at the hospital she works at steals canine arthitis medicine. It could be an ingredient for this new drug" I explained as he put an arm around my shoulder.

"Would it have a similar effect on humans?" he asked.

"I don't know..." I shrugged. "The body chemistries are so different."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

With the help of a PI, I got Dr. Henderson's address, and some other info. When I got it, I went to snoop around. The guy had no beefs either legal or professionally. I carried my medical bag in case someone started to ask questions. That way , I could say that I was on my way to a house call, but was lost. As I tried to look through the window, which was half opened, I heard a familiar voice say

"Natalie?"

I turned, and to my dread, it was Don.

"What are you doing here?" he asked straight out.

I dramatically slapped my forehead. "I seem to be at the wrong house!"

"Really?"

I made a point of looking at the small piece of paper the PI gave me. "Look! I'm like a block off! Damn! Guess that's bound to happen now that I don't do as many house calls as I used to"

"It is far from your clinic" Don told me neutrally. Megan soon was beside him. They both wore professional clothes, and had their guns on their waists.

"I missed you at the last session, Natalie" she said casually. As I remembered that was when I went to see the PI for the first time. Why did she have to say it in front of Don? Damn!

"Sorry..." I said lamely. "So…..uh...you guys are on duty?"

"Yeah...we were following a lead next door" Don said vaguely, "when we saw you"

"Well...uh...little Bibi isn't gonna give herself antibiotics, so I'd uh...better go..."

"I'll see ya tonight?" he said in the form of a question.

"Of course ..." It wasn't gonna be evening, though at least he wouldn't ask questions in front of Alan.

So, I casually went into my car, and left.

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Megan raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. What the hell was Natalie up to? House call...yeah sure...! Hasn't that woman learnt her lesson? Damn it!

Something told me, that whatever she was up to, I wasn't gonna like it.

TBC

* * *

Return to Top 


	53. Chapter 53

That night I talked to Natalie in the kitchen, when I went to visit Dad. She had gotten up and gone there, and I followed suit a few moments later.

"How'd the house call go?" I asked her casually.

"Great, Bibi had a respiratory infection, so I administered antibiotics" she opened the fridge, and gave me a beer, while getting a sprite for herself.

"Any reason why the owner didn't want to go to the clinic?" I got the bottle opener and used it.

"She's got limited mobility" Natalie replied

"That's interesting because cause it looked like you were snooping" I countered calmly.

"I was trying to see if anyone was home, when I saw that there wasn't, I began to realize that it was the wrong house." she insisted.

"Come on!" I snapped at her. "You're doing it again!"

"What?" She put down her drink.

"Investigating, and getting in over your head!" I replied sardonically.

"Don..." she began.

"Look, you've got a knack for pissing people off, and probably have as many enemies as I do!" I interrupted. "Or more."

"Look..."

"You look!" I snapped again. "You're a vet, not an investigator. Whatever suspicions you have, take them to the police, understood?" With that, I left the kitchen in a huff.

"You okay Donnie?" Dad asked me when I rejoined him.

"Hard day at work" I muttered and turned my attention to the TV.

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The next day I went to snoop at Henderson's place since Don had interrupted me the day before. Unfortunately, this led me nowhere, and I went home disappointed. I was late for dinner, and to boot, Don was there.

"Sorry I'm late, Babe" I apologized to Alan after we kissed. "I had some things to do before I could get home"

"I know what that is like." Don said neutrally.

After we ate, I began to pick up the dishes as it was my turn to do them.

"Let me help you" Don offered.

"You're offering to help with the dishes?" Alan asked in surprise.

"Why not?" Don shrugged. "Natalie looks a little tired right now"

With a raised eyebrow, Alan excused himself to go to the living room.

"I'll rinse and you load" Don said quickly. "And we can talk."

After a few minutes, he asked. "Why were you late?"

Just then, his phone rang, and he answered it.

"I gotta go," he said after hanging up. "But this conversation isn't over!" Don said goodbye to Alan, and was out the door.

I continued my investigation for the next few days, and the following Sunday, upon arriving from having dinner and watching a movie, we found out that the house had been broken into. The door was open, all of our pictures were on the floor, the sofas lay, the kichen floor was full of utencils as well asbroken placts, andour clothes were everywhere .. I felt violated,scaredand worried about my pets.

"What the hell?" Alan looked around in shock. "I'd better call Don"

"I'll call the cops" I told him.

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As I worked at my desk, Dad called me.

"We've been robbed!" he said frantically.

"What?"

"The house is a mess! Someone broke in!" Dad said.

"I'll be there" I promised. "Just be careful and don't' touch **anything**!"

"We'll be careful" Dad promised. I gave him some more reassurances, and we hung up.

If something happens to dad because of that woman, the gloves are coming off!

TBC


	54. Chapter 54

The cops were at their place by the time I arrived. I showed my badge and mentioned the fact that I was the victim's son. A few other agents, who were not on my team, would be coming by soon because the house was partly in my dad's name. I talked to the detective in charge, and she sourly told me what the police had so far. Then, I went to see Dad and that woman. They looked upset and shaken.

"How are you guys holding up?" I asked.

"Good..., nothing appears to be missing" Dad said. "And Nat's pets are fine."

"Any idea who might have done this?" I asked, mostly to see if she'd have the decency to be honest.

"It might have to do with some inquires she's been doing" Alan admitted for her. "See, she thinks a vet at this large vet hospital has been stealing some canine arthritis medicine from the pharmacy."

"What kind of inquiries?" I asked

"I went in with Rocko to feel him out" She said. Dad had had his arms were around her. Then she continued. "I think Alan and I should stay in a hotel at least for the moment"

"Nat! We can't let whoever did this dictate our lives!" Dad argued. He was a guy who believed in facing your fears.

"But they messed up the bed!"

Something told me that her wanting to stay at a hotel had nothing to do with the bed being ruined, but that she felt vulnerable in her own house. It didn't help matters that she had been shot. Natalie held Dad close to her as her face betrayed her fear.

I said to her "Maybe if you didn't go around making 'inquiries', you wouldn't feel the need to stay at a hotel"

"Don..." Dad put on his warning voice, but I didn't care. The house was a complete mess, with stuff all over the floor, torn furniture, and sabotaged appliances. Nat had pissed off someone who meant business, and endangered Dad in the process! All for some damn dog medicine! Those thugs must have seen her when she went to snoop again when I wasn't around.

"You endangered yourself, and you endangered Dad!" I snapped at the woman, who tried to keep her face neutral, but didn't seem very happy about what I had just said.

"There is no way she could have known that this would happen!" Dad defended her, as usual.

"That's my point!" I snapped, and turned to her. "You went way over your head!"

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Before more could be said, my cell phone rang. It was one of my business partners, Carl.

"The patients are loose!" he said grimly.

I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. "What?"

"I came down to check on a patient, only to find that someone had opened all the cages!"

TBC


	55. Chapter 55

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Natalie looked upset during the phone call.

"The overnight patients' cages have been opened!" She told Dad and me "I gotta go!"

"Let's all go" I suggested, as there could be important clues at that other scene. "I'll let the cops know."

Soon, everyone was on their way. The clinic was a madhouse! Animals fought each other, a couple of parakeets were flying around, avoiding potential predators, a ferret scurried around, a dog whined in pain, while some cats mewed loudly. Thankfully, a couple of employees, not to mention her partners were there. Maybe this was what it took to get Natalie to realize how reckless she is being! I hope her partners talk to her! She needed to see that it wasn't just me.

As soon as everything was under control, the police talked to Natalie's employees and partners.

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After the cops finished with us, Carl took me aside.

"Something tells me that you pissed someone off" he began.

"I did" I admitted somberly, telling him what happened at my and Alan's place, and I explained about my investigation.

"Maybe you should leave investigation to the pros?" he suggested seriously, and added. "I know your heart was in the right place, but it's not you job. This is relaity,and as you have seen, there have are consequences.We're lucky that none of the patients died or were seriously hurt!"

"Carl..."

"Think about that, okay?"

The police stayed a long time collecting fingerprints and other evidence. Carl and I finished treating any animals that were injured as a result of getting out of their cages. Alan stuck around to help us out with cleanup, as did a couple of cops and Don.

"I found this guy" the agent told me, holding a struggling rabbit.

"I was looking for that one! Thanks!" Carl said happily got it from him, and cooed. "There you are little buddy!"

"Got all your patients, Natalie?" Don asked me evenly.

"They're all accounted for." I said.

"You know, Natalie, something could have happened to Dad" he began after checking to see that Alan was still on the other side of the clinic. "People sometimes go after loved ones, ya know?"

"Whoever did this didn't know Alan from Adam!" I scoffed, but a large part of me was worried.

"I'm gonna arrange protection for you guys, just to be safe"

"Thanks..." I said.

Eventually, most of the cops left. Before we knew it, the grey of dawn started relieving the night. Around then, Don got a call, and reluctantly left after telling Alan to be careful, and to call if he needed anything.

"It'll almost be time to open." I remarked to Alan. "Why don't you go rest, Babe? That meeting isn't until midday" He looked exhausted; circles were around his eyes, and his body slouched.

"Sure you don't need help fixing things up?"

"The other employees are coming soon" I told him.

"Maybe we can clean up the house this weekend?"

"Maybe..." I said lamely. "Let's talk about it later."

"Okay..."

After some more nagging from me, he, under protest, went home, with an escort. I double checked everything, and the patients.

Maybe working will help me get through this. I sure hope so.

TBC


	56. Chapter 56

**a/n: I've revised it so that the break ins took place on Sunday night. **

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At home, I feed Nat's 'kids', I postponed the meeting until the next day, slept for a while, and started to clean up the house. It looked worse than Donnie's old college dorm room!

Sometime later, I called Nat to see how she was doing and Don came to see me.

"Stan told me that you decided to stay home" Donnie said as he came in.

"I wanted to clean up the mess" I told him. Having my home broken into had been traumatic. In a way, my trying to clean seemed like a good way to gain control again.

"Natalie stayed at work?"

"Yeah...she needed to get her mind off this." I explained.

"So...are you guys staying at a hotel?"

"I'll need to talk that over with her about that when she returns from work" I told him. It seemed best to return to our routine as soon as possible. Sleeping at the house was a good step towards that. Maybe if the house is in the cleaner state, I could get Nat to relent and agree to sleep at home.'

"Sure..." He looked around. "Need help?"

"If you've got time"

"For you Dad, always."

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"A Megan Reeves would like to see you, Dr. Core" one of the vet assistants told me, as I left a patient room after a routine appointment that involved a checkup and some shots for a Scottish terrier puppy. Work had helped somewhat in that I could go a good while without thinking about what happened

"Have her come to my office" I said, as I went into it myself. Soon, Megan joined me.

"I thought I'd see how you were..." Megan told me. I guess, as my teacher, she was concerned, and probably heard about it from Don. It was easy to talk to her.

"Okay...though I'd rather spend the night at a hotel" I said as she sat down. "But Alan doesn't want to"

"Oh?"

"He says that we can't let whoever vandalized our house to take over our lives" I explained. "As we speak, he's probably cleaning up the house to get me to change my mind."

"Sounds like Alan's trying to take charge of the situation by facing it" she remarked.

"Yeah...Alan had the same attitude when I was afraid to go into the parking lot of the clinic for a while after I got shot..."

"What about Don?"

"He uh...just wants to make sure we're protected, wherever we are." I didn't want to go into the most recent disagreement I had with him, especially since Megan and he worked together.

"You two don't seem to see eye to eye on a lot of things..." Megan said, leaning back on the chair.

"We've had our disagreements." I said with a shrug, as I found myself twiddling my stethoscope.

"He told me and Charlie that last night's incidents were done by someone who had a 'beef' with you"

"Really?" I made myself sound casual.

"What did he mean?" she persisted. Looks like Megan hadn't forgotten about that day, when she and Don saw me snooping at that house.

I explained about my inquiries.

"Whoever did this knows a great deal about you...attacking your home and place of business."

"And Alan wonders why I want to stay at a hotel" I now worried even more. Will the protection Alan has be enough? What if whoever broke into the house and clinic decided to hurt Alan?

"Don said that he was going to leave work early to stay with Alan"

"That's great!" I said. It was good that Alan would have Don's company, but I worried how things would play out between me and him.

Too soon, Megan was called back to work. Several appointments later, it was time to go home. As I walked towards my car, I saw a sheet of paper. Scared and fearing it was a written threat, I ran towards the vehicle, and didn't touch the paper. To my relief, it was just a flyer for some car washing fundraiser. Happy, tore up the paper, went into my car, and went home only to find Alan asleep on the couch. Carefully, I put a blanket over him .The poor man had gone on very little sleep between last night's events, and cleaning the house.

"Hey Natalie..." Don used his most businesslike voice. "How was work?"

"Fine...How's your father been?

"Busy...trying to clean the house for you" Why did I sense an accusing tone? "Anyway, I got a pizza. Half of it's got your favorite toppings."

"Thank you and I appreciate you looking after Alan" We were talking like two people who just saw each other on the elevator, once in a while.

"I'm staying the night" If nothing else, Don was a good son to Alan. He deeply cared.

"That's great of you, but your father and I might go to a hotel."

"Dad's spending hours cleaning up this place tells me that he disagrees" Of course he would side with Alan. That I understand, but he really shouldn't butt in. "Besides, is it fair to wake him?"

"I wasn't going to wake him, Don" I tried to be patient. "Your father doesn't sleep for that many hours at a time."

"Would it kill you to humor him for once?"

"Let's not go there, Don" For a while now, we've gone through same arguments that consisted of him , as well as Charlie saying that I wasn't good nor old enough for Alan, and me countering them.

He played the fool and gave me a hard look. "Go where?"

Why uh...don't I go eat some pizza..." I lamely suggested and went to the kitchen before the sparks of tension turned into flames.

TBC


	57. Chapter 57

Don soon followed me into the kitchen.

"You know, we're on the same side here" I remarked as I got a couple of slices of Canadian ham, onion and mushroom pizza.

"And we both care about Dad, right?" He sat down next to me.

"Of course!."

"He really needs his routine to get through this" he told me seriously. Don's eyes had the look of concern.

"You think so?"

"That's one of the reasons he spent hours cleaning up"

"That makes sense" I remarked. "I had figured that maybe new scenery would do us both good, but if it'll be better for him, I'll stop insisting on going to a hotel." It's a good thing Don pointed that out!

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"I'm sure Dad will be glad to hear that." Seems like she does care, in her own weird way. Dad's need for routine had developed over the years, and became really obvious when mom got sick, as well as when she passed away. It kept him going.

"Where's Charlie?" she asked.

"He called Dad" I told her vaguely. The truth was that at the field office, this morning, my brother told me that he had an urgent job to do for the NSA. When he called Dad, my poor brother only had time to offer an excuse and briefly express worry about the robbery.

"Nat! You're home! How was work?" Dad's voice surprised us as he kissed Natalie.

"I'm glad to be home" she smiled and continued. "I was thinking that maybe we should stay here for the night"

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

"Trust me, it'll help" he assured her, and then offered "Would you like me to warm up the pizza?" Typical Dad, always the generous guy.

"It's okay, babe. Pizza's fine"

"I'm glad you two realize that you're both on the same side!" Dad beamed at us. He hated to see the people he cared about arguing.

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It pleased me to see the two of them getting along! Tensions had flared between those two last night. Hopefully, this cease fire would last longer than the last one, and turn into friendship.

Eventually, it got late, so Donnie had to go. Deciding to call it a day at eleven and go to bed, I asked Nat, who watched TV "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"In a bit" she promised.

We kissed each other goodnight and I went to bed.

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While I knew we had someone protecting us, I still didn't feel secure enough to go to sleep. Little noises bothered me, and even at midnight, I felt wound up. Rocko and Layla stayed in the living room with me. Before I knew it, the time was two in the morning, then suddenly, I heard Alan's voice.

"Nat? Why didn't you come to bed?" he asked, then said, "Come on! It's six thirty. You should be dressed by now! Chop! Chop!"

"I'm the boss!" I groaned. "Ten more minutes"

"Nat.."

After some more nagging, I got up with a whimper and began my morning routine.

"I waited for you for an hour last night!" Alan said as I brushed my teeth. He was already in his work suit.

"I couldn't sleep!" I told him.

"Watching TV isn't gonna help you ." he pointed out and looked at his watch. "I gotta go to that meeting. Try not to be late to work" With that he left after giving me a quick kiss.

I arrived to work five minutes late. Thankfully, I had ten minutes before my first appointment of the day.

As the morning progressed, I realized that Alan's birthday was in three weeks! I kind of thought about a lovely weekend trip, as his birthday fell on a Friday, but then remembered he'd want to be with his sons on that day. So, I called Don, and asked him if he wanted to arrange something with me for Alan's birthday.

"We'll need to talk to Charlie. He'll wanna be a part of this" Don said after agreeing.

"Of course. Want to meet at lunch?"

"Sure...I'll call Charlie."

"Great!"

"How are things at work?"

"Good..busy" I told him.

"Well….I ..gotta go, I'll call you later?"

"Sure..."

With that we said our goodbyes and hung up. I hoped that the truce between me and Don would actually last.

TBC


	58. Chapter 58

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"You and Natalie? Working together?" Charlie groaned over the phone.

"She and I talked yesterday. Natalie's on our side buddy. So...will you be able return by Dad's birthday?"

"I don't know" my brother sighed, and I felt disappointed, not that I had any right to complain. How many times had I missed Dad's birthday because of work? More than I'd care to admit. "Are you and Natalie friends now?"

"I wouldn't go that far"

"Okay..."

"Any ideas?"

"How about dinner with just me, you and Dad?" he suggested wistfully.

"Charlie!" I scolded.

"We should take him to hooters" he joked, but then got thoughtful. "We could rent a golf course for the day, have it to ourselves?"

"How much is that gonna run?" I doubted my ability to afford even a fraction of the cost.

"Depends on the size of it." he said. "Maybe we could rent a small one, and even invite some of his friends?"

"Got anything else?" My love for Dad wasn't going to double my bank account.

Charlie gave me a couple more suggestions and he had to go. Then, I called Natalie, gave an excuse for Charlie not coming, and arranged a time to meet her for lunch.

Around twelve thirty we met at a sushi place, her treat.

"So uh...what kinda ideas do you have?" she asked as we were seated.

"I was thinking maybe a small party at one of his favorite restaurants" I suggested.

"I like that..." She agreed. "We could get a band to play his favorite music to surprise him the morning of his birthday, as a precursor to the rest of the day. Could you take a vacation day or something?"

"Sure. I've got a few saved up." I said. "But I'm not too sure about the band thing"

"Really?"

"My grandfather did that for Dad once when me and Charlie were kids, and it didn't go over very well"

"What happened?"

"Dad got mad because the band came around eight in the morning and it was Saturday. Charlie was annoyed about not being able to hear the cartoons he was watching." I explained and looked at what kind of sushi the place had.

Over lunch, we nailed down the details of the party, who we were gonna invite, and at which restaurant. Then, she and I went back to our jobs.

Back at the office, I thought about what to get Dad. It didn't help that in recent years for either his birthday or father's day, I had already bought him golf clubs and fishing stuff. Then I had an idea! There were these expensive German knives that I heard cut like butter, the brand was Wurstof. An ex girlfriend of mine had a set. Happily, I went online and ordered them, though a part of me still cringed at the cost.

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Charlie arrived two days before Dad's birthday. By the bags under his eyes, and unshaven face, I could tell that he put in an all nighter or two to pull this off. I picked him up at the airport. Larry had taken him.

"Look who the cat dragged in!" I teased.

"Have you gotten Dad something yet?" he asked as we waited for his luggage.

"Expensive German made knives." I told him.

"I got him and Natalie tickets for a cruise, this summer. They've got a suite, with a large balcony to admire the view."

As usual, Charlie topped me in the present giving department. "Where does it go?"

" Alaska, among other places." Charlie quickly grabbed one of his suitcases. I got one of his other ones.

"Sounds great buddy!"

"I've did some thinking about Natalie on the flight here"

"And?"

"She's not worth alienating Dad" he saw the last of his luggage. "And he really seems happier with her."

"Glad to hear that, buddy"

"And if they break up before the cruise, you and I could go" He joked.

"Yeah...we'd be the youngest guys there!" I chuckled.

With that, I took him home.

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The party was a great success! Dad loved the food, and the presents! It was wonderful to see him happy. I may not approve of his relationship with Natalie, but I've come to accept it.

The End

**A/n:Thanks for sticking around and reading until the end. Sorry if you felt that I went around in circles on this fic.**


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